The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-06-09
Interpreting
The War
BY KIRKE L. SIMPSON
Associated Press War Analyst

0
..soc,ated press War Analyst
A logical pattern for the Allied
invasion of France Via Normandy
beaches began to disclose ltsen as
the third day of the greatest mill
tary adventure in history drew TO a
close although its supreme com,
mander. General Eisenhower, still
masked his intentions from Tleno
and foe alike.
His progress bulletins still Lacked
definite geographical data by
which to measure the scope and
direction of the assault that storm
ed ashore over wide coastal front
SO successfully as to prompt an Of
fetal statement that the first phase
of the invasion had been complet-
ed and the second begun. They also
failed to reflect the optimism OF
some eyewitness press accounts
from the fighting front holding
that the Wanted Nazi Atlantic wall
had been proven something OF a
myth in the Normandy area a.
least.
Eisenhower and his staff well
know that the main enemy defense
is not fixed Notifications but the
German army. The bulletins indi-
cate that only Nazi local reserves
have been encountered up to now,
and that strong tactical reserves
are yet to be met and mastered
before the first strategic detectives
OF the invasion campaign can be
achieved.
There is no authorized Allied in.
timation as to what those first
detectives are. Piecing together
various German accounts Of the
fighting, however, it looks as
though seizure of both the Cher
bourg-tipped Normandy penninsu.
la and its larger Brittany coastal
hump to the west at the head OF
which stands the por tot Brest,
only $500 sea miles from New
York, may be the Allied purpose.
Shift to Southwest
That would mean that the d1rec-
ton of the attack, now that its
first beachhead salients along the
shore of the bay of the Seine have
been consolidated in some depth
would shift to the southwest toward
Nantes at the head of the Loire
estuary, and not toward Paris OF
Berlin. The Berlin reports rsflect
that, but without confirmation from
any Allied source.
They tell of new air landing.
attempted or achieved by the Allie.
not only near the base Of the Nor
mandy peninsula, west Of the Vie
but also in Brittany. Descents neal
Nantesn, Lorient and st. Brieu,
were Berlin reported.
Nazi sources also announced tina
the first Allied push in fore,
southwestward beyond the Bayeu1
beachhead salient was in progress
Success would cut off the Nor
mindly peninsula, west of the Wire
son, and expose Cherbourg tt
investment from the rear.
Allied capture of Cherbourg ans
its good weather harbor woult
sho1en and simplify the supply
problem Of the American troops ap
parently holding the right flank O
the Allied invasion line. They woult
be in direct oversee contact still
the United States, via Cherbourg
avoiding supply and enforcement
trans-ehipments in England. It wa:
that consideration that prompted
assignment of Pershing's troops tt
the right flank in France in Worle
War I, with French Bay of Bisca,
ports as their bases. There was NJ
confusion of French, british anc
american supply lines due to tina
deployment.
No Isolation Attempt Yet
It seems doubtful that invasion
operations have yet reached {
stage where isolation of the Brit
tany peninsula might be attempted
Brest, at its northwestern tip
would serve American supply
needs in France even better thar
Cberbourg. But the battle in Nor
mandy still is too young to make
Nazi reports of air borne landing.
in the Nantes region, remote from
any known Allied beachhead il
France, very credible.
There may have been feint.
there and elsewhere. to keen the
foe guessing as to the real .Alliee
| plan of action. Gestures at Brit
tany also would intensity the pres
sure the Normandy landings are al
ready exerting on the foe tc
commit not only his reserves tc
action to meet the threat and thu,
be drawn for westward on the
continent and away from the short
roads to Berlin.