The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-11-04
Interpreting
The War
BY KIRKE L. SIMPSON,
Associated Press War oN

MAJ hroad rress War Analyst
OF many observers that e 0elet
OF German ability to prev ,ss test
AIMED break-through on ths N IA. an
c cal northern flank Of the Sic sisn erti.
line is close at hand, ''eslFied
These observers read int.
collapse of the schelde blO O nAal
OF Antwerp approaches and ntVVSad.
new newed l forward surge Of the Are "a re-
lean First army on the T v, amer
Cologne intimations that the va" n.y.. 70
ern segment of the West fr t,ut'a 4.
about to flame into action '0i' is
There is yet no con lfl.
from any Allied source tb.. I'auon
a major offensive has been ons such
Press Press reports from London 't y e
from Allied headquarters exn a nd
doubt that it can materia1iza ap ,,es!s
Antwerp's vast port facilities S pnaa
been brought into actual uss Na p'
moval of enemy laid obstrnc4;n0e Ne
in the schelde channels ana dr.a
ing Of silt Accommodations IN nlr ua
init passage of deep draft GER pst'
craft will be necessary IN ra,so
the great inland seaport t,,lv ' NJ
1 J: as a main Allied supnlv
base. supply
1t is quite possible. however ~.
medium size shipping and bsra a,
traffic to Antwerp through the he ~ 81
tuary could be quickly organi7 ~,
on a sufficient scale for Gener.,
Eisenhower's urgent needs, ~.
causeway rail and road route from
Flushing port at the mouth Of IN.
Schelde, now in Allied hands IL
also an important item in imnrov'
ed Allied communications.
No more than limited sinner ",
sistance to its prompt activatior
as fast link with the sea coast
for priority military traffic seem,
indicated. 1t probably could A..
comodate with small delay a sub.
stantial part Of the movement NJ
men, equipment and stores neces
sary for a wide-fronted British Of.
tempt to force the Neder Rim.
in the Anthem sector without
awaiting development of he Ant.
werp base. y
Days or hours should serve 10
reveal whether the Allies are
ready for major action in the
Dutch approaches to the Neder
Rhine. Further American progress
in the Duren area, duplicating III.
first day surprise advance Of two
miles, lessons the possibility that
the Hurtgen forest attack was
mercy probing to test enemy
strength or local improvement Of
position. A four-mile deep dent in
the German front of unindicated
width has stabbed to higher ground
overlooking the upper stretches Of
the Roer river. 1t was driven home
against stubborn enemy resistance
and without benefit of close air
support due to adverse weather.
That implies massed guns 10
back the drive as well as con.
siderable infantry forces engaged.
1t tends to illustrate also the thin.
ness of German defenses between
fortified stone built towns and CT
ties that form the anchorage Of
the Nazi front. A four mile Amer'
can forward sweep in two days
in an area so close to Cologne
and obviously Threatening to en-
circle Duren suggests the German
front there had been thinned out
to provide reinforcements fof
troops bitterly and futilely opp0S'
ing Allied advances on the lower
Mas.
If as the Berlin radio warns "a
massive Anglo-American breah
through attack is close at nand'
the logistics of the situation IN
Guiding that factor Of interior COM
munication lines is likely to prove
an important element in Allied Ia
vor.