The Wilmington morning star., 1944-12-30
Interpreting
The War
BY KIRKE L. SIMPSON,
Associated Press W. oN

al
man flight from the Belgian b es''
now is in progress should 1~ ~ Dug.
ce P with extreme caution On &C.
Bright as the prospects ,''i'
seem that it may hap0en now
a German attempt n 's s,, soon,
the bulge with minimum o'1 1osss
would probably be of sno, iOsSes
ture as to make it difticn1. ma
detect, particularly if bad 4 tIri1 10
weather blinded Allied air Lying Lying
walton of enemy movements r0SeE'
Press observers at Allied bs.s
quarters and forward conr nsad,
posts have not relayed Nszi I', ra
eral retreat reports. Both xo,,s gen.
warn of possible German r sOu!ces
ing within the bulge for hesySy 'u a.IS
attacks. 'S new
That could result from STAT. ~
er-caution. However other u. w.
cumstances-not only Of imus sE'
ate progress made by Third Ar
forces re but also the relaxation \.
Allied censorship in many nar. VI
ulars to reveal details of ths N w..
week old battle - imply n,r WV
greater assurance in Allied con,
mand circles that the altar. wiz IN.
run its course. ''s
1t is clear that pinched BY fail.
ing supply lines and CALLED bv ba
First Army stand in the NORTH . me
the Third Army power attack anu IN
the south, the German command.r
has been forced to critical ~
cision. His only alternative :,
retreat as the Allies threaten hi,
armies in the bulge with entr.n,
ment is to call in additional torcs,
and dig in for a defensive stand
Nazi digging in is reported Al.
ready In some sectors, notably al
the shrunken western extremity
of the bulge. 1t does not seem
logical place for more than rear.
guard action to cover a with.
drawal by slow stages to select.
ed and naturally strong holding
front farther back.
There would be little point in
attempting to hold all of lac
ground now occupied by the Ger.
mans. Too much OF it is marked
by dangerously narrow and expos.
ed salients and it would take an
enormous number of troops for
the whole 200-;nile maximum
perimeter of the Belgian bulge,
Abandonment of some of the over.
extended prongs to the west and
southwest has been announced.
This indicates that the Germans
are disr aging their proven skill
. now in estimating their situation
, and acting promptly upon that
judgment.
1t certainly is possible that
general retreat has begun. If The
foe has given up hope Of break
ing through to the Meuse to harry
Allied lateral supply lines in the
Mouse valley or communications
with the Aachen bulge into Ger
many, there would be no very
sound reason to attempt 10 re-
,, tain his grip in Belgium. It would
extend his lines elsewhere in the
| west. 1t might further impede
Allied attack schedules but they
are already shot on the Saar by
, withdrawal of Patton's army for
operations in the bulge battle and
presumably also seriously derang'
ed on the Roer.
The German salient into BEL
GUM is still 30 narrow at It's
base to be secure against num-
erous and well equipped foe That
it ever was intended to achieve
more than disrupt the Allied WIN
ter offensive schedule and at
most possibly force the abandon,
ment of the Allied Roer foothoId
in Germany is open to doubt.
AS a corridor of communications
to supply a fast moving, far
ranging blitz attack aimed at
Paris, Antwerp or any other DIS
tant objective far behind the A.
lied front, that rugged country
through which the Germans chars
ed is anything but inviting II
lacks adequate east-west roads ana
rail connections sufficient to main
tain substantial force at any
great distance from the German
frontier.
1t may well be that having
achieved all that it could by 'ns
surprise blow, the enemy now
concerned wholly with getting oU
of the bulge again without sus
tanning losses that could Sraauy
effect the duration of the war IN
the west. There is no doubt "A't
ever that General Eisenhower ana
his staff are making every et
deavor to inflict just that KIND i o.
losses upon the Germans oel0l'
they can escape.