The Wilmington morning star., 1944-08-15
interpreting
The War
BY KIRKE L. SIMPSON
Associated Press War A.,


Allied forces in Normandv
SO close to putting a hangm. ~
moose about substantial No.; sn
OF the German Seventh arr. ''Oil'
northwestern France as 10 S.; II
a question whether the Na7i n;'
command has not delibprs+ ,sn
sacrificed it to gain time to "
tablish a new defensive front a.,
of the Seine. eaN
Field estimates very as IN ..
size and composition of the enen.'
forces trapped in the Nornanay
pocket. Unofficial guesses olaca :.
100000 up the number of Germsn
troops still west of the Casn '''
Ilemans road.
The Falaise-Argentan pan ~
only eastward escape corridor fos
the foe, had shriveled to a l5.n,iJ.
or less handsbreadth betwaao
converging Canadian and Ameri
can forces. 1t was swept by Over
tapping Allied artillery eros. fir.
as well as being bomb delugaS
from the air. An Allied junction IN
seal it completely was to be av
pected at any moment.
The probabilities are that Cor.
man casualties in France sine.
the Allied incursion into Norno,ns'.
will rise beyond the 100000 or Am
900 mark, figure comparab1.
with Nazi losses in the BATH a,
Stalingrad where the retreat from
Russia began. That represents
staggering blow to German fat
dwindling manpower reserves
Unless there proves to be an.
other defense line already estab.
lished along the Seine between
Paris and the sea behind which
escaping remnants of the Seventh
army can shelter and refit, the
Allied way not only to Paris but IN
the Channel coast lies open one.
mopping-up in Normandy and
Brittany is completed.
The battle of France and tn.
Low Countries will have been lost
already in suicidally prolonged
delay of Nazi orders for a general
retreat to the Seine.
There has been ample time for
reserves to be brought up from
southern and central France, from
the Low Countries and from Ger.
many itself if they are available,
Allied air reports have indicated
large westward troop movements
as the targets at which bombing
operations east Of the Seine have
been continuously aimed. If they
have reached the Normandy front
at all, however, it appears they
have been sucked into the nav Of
the Allied attack piece-meal as
were the Brittany reserves, mere.
ly swelling the casualty toll.
At no time since the earliest
days of the invasion have the
Germans managed to concentrate
sufficient power for major coun.
terattack. 1t appears possible,
however, that all northwestern
France, perhaps including Paris,
was written off by the Nazis as
lost except for delaying action
purposes after the American
breakthrough at Avranches. If the
Seine front has been manned as
the next defense line. it would
still protect the assumed main
theater of robot launching install.
lations. That seems to have been
the mission of the Seventh army,
AS the situation for the Germans
now stands in France, never
theless, the Seine line is definitely
vulnerable even if heavily manned,
once the full weight of Allied pow
er is available.
General Eisenhower unusual
order to his troops calling for the
final conclusive effort to complete
the victory in Normandy makes u
clear that more than reconqueS!
of Paris or even humiliation Oh
the Seventh Nazi army is now az
stake.
1t is possible to read into thai
Eisenhower order an intlmalloh
that once the Seventh army IS
finished off, a fast Allied march
eastward will follow against mea'
gre and scattered resistance, II"
!; test of that will come on the selhe'