Evening star., 1944-05-06
Hitler's End Nearing
On Blitz Anniversary
Coming Counter Stroke Took
Allies 4 Years to Prepare
BY David laurence.

Just about four years ago--it was on
May 10, 1910, to be exact - Hitler
launched his biggest blitz. His armies
swept through Holland and Belgium
and within a few weeks thereafter
France had fallen.
Air power synchronized with motor
lied divisions brushed aside all opposi-
ton and not only defeated the French
armies but thrust the British back
across the English Channel.
Four years have been used by the
democracies to prepare a counter
stroke. The United States, as the ar
senal OF democracy, has produced more
airplanes and more weapons than Ger
many accumulated or than Germany
can currently produce. Our material re-
sources and manufacturing skill, plus
the redoubled efforts of the British
people, have given the Allies a large
and we'll equipped land army plus a
powerful air force-the most powerful
ever mobilized in all history.
Two Blows Expected.
But the counterstroke from the Brit
effective were it not for the tremendous
blows inflicted by the Russian Army
on the Nazi divisions. Russia has forced
the Nazis to retreat and Stain has
promised that his armies will not stand
still but will go forward with a major
offensive.
So from the east Of Europe and GER
tainly from the west must come power
full blows supplemented by major
strokes, too, from the north Of Europe
and from the south. The so-called in
vasion is the bItz idea in reverse
with the Germans on the receiving
end this time
When will it come? Nobody knows
except the high command and it's the
kind of a secret no newspaper corre-
spondent really would feel comfortable
in knowing. The Nazis already are fish,
ing. They keep senoing out dispatches
predicting that the invasion will come
through this or that sector or at this or
that time. But they don't know.
A certain amount of reconnaissance
is possible. Doubtless the Germans
have photographed from the air the
concentrations of ships and supplies
along the various. coasts from which
Allied troops may embark. But this
cannot help them too much. For ii
will be recalled that they took photo
graphs, too, when the Allied expedition
into North Africa was being prepared
In Britain. The Germans finally con-
cluded that an attempt would be made
to land in Norway. The American COR
respondents who were assigned to the
expedition bought winter clothing but
they found themselves In North Africa.
The coasts of Europe are such that
surprise landings can be made in dozens
Of different places. The modern tech
nique is differe~s from that which has
been used In other wars Thus If the
studied, it will be observed that troops
are landed far beyond enemy concen-
trations snd at different points so that
landing forces ultimately can be Joined
together. Many port is bypassed.
The straight-line approach is not always
used.
Victory Is Certain.
SO the element of surprise does re-
main and the Nazis will not know the
Allied campaign plan till 1t is we'll
underway. Prime Minister Churchill
in his latest speech warned that there
would be feints and maneuvers. This
probably means that landing in one
place does not necessarily mean it is the
main attack. Diversionary movements
| of one kind or another can well take
| place and occupy several days or weeks
before the whole campaign plan is
known. A glance at the map of Europe
shows the various possibilities.
The important thing to be borne in
mind Is that Germany can be beaten
| If the right pressure is applied from
| the east as well as the west Russia has
been pleading for second front and
has promised to do her share. The
time for Russian demonstration of her
might will be either just before or just
after or perhaps at the same moment
that the Allies strike.
What Russia does may unsettle the
whole Near Eastern situation. Turkey
may come into the war suddenly. Ro-
mania and Bulgaria may be seized by
internal factions and rebellion may
break loose in all the occupied coun-
tries. No man can foresee the outcome
| in terms of weeks or months but the
doom of Hitler and his armies is sealed.
The relentless pressure of an Allied ring
Of bombers and infantry will be exerted
some time this year to climax. Before
another month of May rolls around,
the empire Hitler built should be a
shambles
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