Evening star., 1944-11-05
War Review
Nazis Predict Big
Allied Offensive
Bv Hoyard p. Bailey.

lNdLlS L IeOlCI Dig
Allied Offensive
BY Howard p. Bailey.
In a week marked by one of the
greatest air battles of the war in
which the Nazis lost 208 planes and
the Americans SO, the stage was ap-
parently set for the main push into
Germany. In fact, the Nazis report
that the American LIST Army has
already launched the initial phases
Of the offensive. So far, says Berlin,
only two American divisions have
been committed to the attack which
moved forward 2 miles from the
forests near Aachen deeper into
German territory. The main drive
is expected along q 30-mile front in
the Aachen sector.
Clearing the way to Antwerp to
facilitate the landing of supplies
and reinforcements, British Com
mandos and Canadian troops moved
onto Walcheren Island which con-
trolls the approaches to the Belgian
port and by the end of the week the
island, except for few remaining
snipers, was in Allied hands. Flush
ing, the ancient Dutch port was
overrun on Friday.
AL along the 500-mile western
front the pressure was on. In Hol-
land the Germans fell back slowly
toward the Mas River after British
and American troops had thrown
three bridgeheads over the Mark
River at points about S or 6
miles from the broader Mas River.
At the other end of the line small
village near st. Die, guarding one
of the passages through the Vosges
Mountains, was captured. Since the
start of the campaign in France
it is stated that the American 1st
and Sd Armies have captured more
than 100000 German prisoners.
Heavy Bombing Series.
The big air battle occurred Thurs
day when the long dormant Luft-
waite attempted to interfere with
Allied raids which were spreading
havoc among still-functioning syn
thetic oil plants and other vital
war industries. The Luftwaffe came
off very bad second. The bomb
ers, striking by the hundreds all
week, hit Cologne, Hamm, Munster,
Dusseldorf, Gelsenkirchen, Coblentz
and other important manufacturing
centers. One British bomber, in
tercepting the German battlship
Tirpitz, which has spent most OF
its time in hiding or dodging, drop
ped a 12,000-pound bomb on her
deck as she attempted to sneak from
Norway to Kiel.
Russian troops, moving steadily
toward Budapest, within which civil
war is reported underway, reached
points only 7 miles from the Hun
garian capital where Nazi SIS Elite
Guards and mechanical forces
equipped with Tiger tanks were
temporarily holding as the week
ended.
Facing a Russian threat from the
north following Red Army successes
in Finland, the Nazis are attempting
to withdraw their garrisons from
Norway The British intercepted one
convoy Tuesday, sinking 6 transports
and damaging % others. Finnish
troops, breaking through German
lines, have blocked the two escape
routes from Finland into Norway
and the entire situation looks prom
Using with the lower Baltic also COM
pletely dominated by Russian forces.
The East Prussian front, which
has been inactive, had one brief
furry which occurred coincidentally
with the first snow of winter. Mos
COW newspapers declared the time
has come for the death blow and the
Nazi dislike for winter campaigning
lends force to the Russian predic-
ton.
Slight Progress in Italy.
Some slight progress was made
during the week along the British
9Th Army front in Italy, but gen.
orally speaking there was little to
report. Gen. Alexander, commander
of the Allied forces in Italy, ex-
pressed some wonderment over the
course of the NaZis in not only
maintaining their strength in Italy
but in sending in fresh troops. He
reported that resistance is very
stubborn and sees no signs that the
Nazis will withdraw from Italy. Ac-
ton along the Gothic Line is almost
halted. Withdrawal of American
and French troops from this area
for the invasion of Southern France
caused revision of plans, he declared.
In Greece, the British report the
Nazis still falling back rapidly as
they seek to escape entrapment,
which now seems almost inevitable.
In the war against the Japs, the
Americans are meeting increased re-
sistance on Leyte, which the Japs
have been able to reinforce with
considerable mechanical equipment.
Monday Gen. Macarthur announced
been occupied by his forces, setting
100000 Filipinos free from Japa-
nese rule. Desperate japanese de-
laying tactics which cost them heav-
lily during the early part of the week
apparently were for the purpose of
making the landing of reinforce
ments on the west coast of the is
land possible.
BY the end of the week, Gen. Mac
Arthur stated, however, that the
Leyte campaign was about COM
pleted.
Losses to the Japs on Leyte up to
Friday were placed at about 10000.
of whom $4,000 were counted dead.
A japanese broadcast which was
unconfirmed ih Allied headquarters
reported that the Japs had started a
counterinvasion of Peleliu Island in
the Palau group. 1t was claimed
that this drive was started on Octo-
ber %.
Japs Open Air Attack.
Toward the end Of the week, the
Japs began throwing in what may
be some of their last air reserves
with attacks on carriers of Admiral
Halsey's Sd Fleet and on Saipan,