The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-07-13

Because of the successful initial test of the carefully prepared AL lied invasion machine, military cir cles now entertain high hopes that the war-in the Pacific as well as in Europe-will be over sooner than some generals had dared to expect.
 This is the conclusion of Dema- rec Bess, associate editor of The Saturday Evening Post. after talk ing with Allied military leaders in England during the first week of the invasion. MT. Bess sets forth his observations and conclusions in an article, We Can Hope for an Early End" in the current issue of the Post.
 As early as the first week of the invasion. Mir. Bess reports, Allied air generals were of the opinion the European war could be ended soon and that Japan could be defeated few months after the collapse of Germany-all of which means there is no longer any danger of the war dragging on for years.
 By an early hour on D Day, the ories had been tested which provid- ed hope that both Germany and Japan could be defeated much ear- Her than many military leaders had thought possible, he writes.
 MT. Bess quotes one general as stating: We've got the winning combination now-right here. It will smash the Japanese just as surely as it will smash the Germans We've learned how to conduct an invasion across water We've learn ed how to use air power to protect naval and landing forces. We've learned how to coordinate British and American resources as the re- sources of two independent powers have never been co-ordinated be- fore. All these things are as use- full in Asia as they are in Europe.
 Mastering amphibious warfare and all the operations that go with it has proved the determining factor in the invasion, MT. Bess contends. Much credit, he believes, should go to Combined Operations which in- cludes officers of every branch of American and British services. This group co-ordinates and directs the immediate attacks on the Western European coasts and ascertainS that Allied armies, nayies, and air forc- es strike in unison and do not get in one another's way. Included in Combined Operations are men who have pioneered in amphibious war fare in both the Pacific and Medi- terranean theaters. These men have directed movements of armies, na- vies, and air forces in all theaters of the war.
 The Germans failed to invade England because they had not learned amphibious warfare-the mastering of which cannot be com- pleted in a short time, MT Bess as- serts. The Germans attempted to improyise an amphibious force, but British fighters and bonlbefs smashed the boats and barges asS sembIed in the Channel ports.
 MT. Bess attributes much credit for the success of the invasion to the American 9th Air Force com- nanded by It. Gen. Lewis F. Bere' JUL WHO HhA ostfNs " kHhLbbnHg every theater of the war, It is re- sp0nsible for air support Of the ground troops fighting in France. It | contains airborne troops and troop | carriers, and with its own service command and engineering corps | goes in and builds air strips and aiFfields ln . few days under battle conditions.
 MT. Bess flew over the invasion | area in a MaFauder Bombers and | reports that Allied air cover was fllnetI0nlng perfectly. All ships and | planes were moving on an exact | schedule.
 "F0r two hours. VIC flew back and | forth. and never at any time did we sight an enemy plane" he states. ~rhe Channel below uR was black | with OUT ships. and the skies around lls were filled with our planes tremendous targets for enemy b0Enb- | sFs and flghterS. But no enemy