Evening star., 1944-05-07

new devices the German destructive
genius may have invented will be
discovered only after we have set
foot on the Western European soil
Some American experts think, how
ever, that besides the famed rocket
gun, which is destined to wreck the
invasion ports across the Channel
and possibly interfere with the in
vasion barges, the surprises" will
be confined in some new booby
traps, some unbeatable mines made
possibly of plastic materials and
some new tank-destroying con-
traptions.
Have Deep Foxholes.
The Nazis have an echeloned sys-
tenn of defenses with very deep fox
holes, as we have seen at Casino
which permits the men behind the
wall" to scurry as far as 40 feet
under the ground during the height
of their air attack. Thousands OF
guns are reported to have been
placed all along the coast from the
shores of the Atlantic deep into
France and towns and villages have
been transformed into "other Gas.
sinos" with thousands of pillboxes
reinforced with steel, concrete and
sand to make them invulnerable tc
air bombardments. Our experiences
in the Japanese-held islands in the
Pacific have proven to us that such
types of Notifications are more OF
less immune from air lombard
ments and can be destroyed only
by the effective fire of the heavy
ARTILLERY. 1t is more than likely
that the Nazi defenses along the
shores of the western wall can be
knocked out by the concentrated
fire of the artillery of our battle
ships and cruisers. These are called
to play very important role, as
they have played at Salerno, at
Tarawa and in the Marshalls where
they have been principally respon-
sible for the destruction of the
enemy fortifications and made the
landing of the invasion troops pos
sible.
But the real battles of this sum-
mer will not be fought on the beach
heads. They will be fought outside
the range of the American and Brit
ish warships. The main German
Notifications are reported to extend
throughout Western and Central
France.
/Our first task within the next few
weeks will be to establish beach
heads and gain one or two impor-
tant ports. No military force car
be expected to advance inland un-
less 1t can rely on ample reinforce
ments and supplies. The necessity
of having harbor which can re-
ceive large-size transports ant
merchantmen was demonstrated
last September when we had to take
Naples before moving further into
Southern Italy.
Real Battle Later.
But 1t will be only after the Allies
have established beachheads anC
gained one of the important ports
on the western coast of Europe tina
the real battle will begin. 1t is be.
tween the coast and a line some.
where so or so miles inland that tn,
Germans are preparing their mair
Icounterattacks and principal de-
fense. That area from Denmark t,
the Gulf of Biscay is said to b.
Studded with pillboxes, large ant
small forts and miniature ''Maginot
Lines" It is also there that the
Germans have ample room to ma
neuver their forces and their re-
serves. II the reports received from
Europe are correct there are at least
20 mechanical and tank divisions
in this area capable of moving fast
and performing important strategic
maneuvers.
The numerous towns and villages
containing mostly stone and heavy
brick houses are likely to play an
important role in this last gigantic
struggle between our forces and the
Germans in this war. Contrary to
the common belief, cities, small and
large, can be considerable handi-
cap to an attacking army If they
are converted into fortified places.
The experiences at Stalingrad,
and in smaller way at Casino,
have proven that even the heaviest
tank can do only relatively small
damage to house transformed into
temporary pillbox. The shambles
made by the American airforce at
Casino proved to be detriment
to the New Zealand division which
was ordered to take the town after
the Allied air fleet had "softened'
it. So long as deep foxholes can be
built to shelter the support troops,
the destruction of a town is more
of a handicap than help to the ad-
vancing forces.
1t is in the area between the
coast and the center of France
where the Allies expect the, bitter
est German resistance with counter.
offensives which the Germans will
be able to initiate because of the
ability to move their troops from
one strategic point to another. The
reported go NaZi divisions are not
punched in one area alone. They are
echeloned over large section oi
Western Europe, and while a portion
face the Allies defensively important
formations of the German Army
might attempt counterthrusts on tho
flanks of the invading armies.
Carpathians a Barrier.
On the Eastern front the Ger.
mans are believed to rely on the
strength Of their Notifications ane
OF their defensive equipment to stem
the Russian avalanche. The Car.
pathians form barrier which per.
mits the Germans to hold with rela.
lively few troops. 1t will be in the
area west of Lwow and Lake Peipu:
on the borders of Estonia that the
real battle between the German:
and the Russians must take place
This area, which covers the entrance
into the Reich, is said to be strongly
defended with Notifications erected
by the Nazi engineers in the last /,
months. A break in the German
position to enable the Russians tt
turn the enemy's flank and oper
the road to East Prussia and to Ber.
lin is bound to call for an immediate
withdrawal of some of the raSarVa,