Evening star., 1944-01-22
Allied Supply Plans
For Invasion Ready;
Romn1eI Defense ChieI
Harris Sewing Photo.
By the Associated Press.


LONDON, Jan. 22.-Adolf Hitler
has completed his anti-invasion
command with the appointment Of
Marshal Erwin >Rommel as inspector
general for the defense of Europe, q
London newspaper reported today,
as Allied transport chiefs in Brit
ain announced completion Of a
shadow" supply service for the
armies which will attack Western
Europe.
Hitler has completely reshufied
his high command in preparation
for the Allied attack from Britain,
according to neutral reports quoted
by the Daily Express.
In his new role. Marshal Rommel
holds a post corresponding to that
of Col. Gen. Heinz Guderian, in
spector general of tank forces, and
Maj. Gen. Adolf Galland, inspector
general of the German air force.
None will be a field commander. but
each will be in supreme control OF
their respective services, 1t was said.
Won Rundstedt Shifted.
Marshal Karl Won Rundstedt has
been transferred from command of
the western defenses of Europe to
Eastern Europe, where he will be in
charge Of the areas behind Marshal
Fritz Won Mannstein's armies re-
treating from Russia, the Express
said Marshal Maximilian Won
WEIGHS, who last was reported in
charge of German forces in the
Balkans, apparently has been
dropped from the German defense
setup.
Col. Gen. Eduard Dietl, according
to the Express informants, has been
recalled from Finland and placed in
command of reserve forces inside
Germany proper. while the COM
mands of Gen. Nikolaus Won Falken-
horst in Norway and Gen. Hermann
Won Hannecken in Denmark have
been confirmed by Hitler.
Marshal Georg Won Kuechler, now
in command of German forces in
Northern Russia, and Gen. Fromm,
commanding German home forces,
will divide command of the armies
on the shortened Russian front.
Gen Christensen Of the German
air force has been ordered to pre-
pare the defense of Holland, while
Gen. Dollman, Germany's best
heavy artillery expert has been
placed in charge of all coastal bat
teries along the Western invasion
coast, the Daily Express said.
Railway Schedule Ready.
The Allies new shadow" service
will marshal all railways in Britain
under an instant timetable by which
hundreds of freight trains can be
set in motion from arms storage
depots to jumping of ports within
a few hours, 1t was disclosed.
Military supplies dispersed over
the countryside may be needed at
many ports, and under the shadow"
or emergency schedule scores of
probable journeys have been classi-
fed, routed and timed for quick ex-
ecution when the big day arrives.
Each train in the shadow" serv-
ice carries a code number. For ex-
ample, "ABC-42l7" might mean that
a locomotive and 40 cars must be at
depot "A' to load certain materials
and be ready to leave at pm. on
a given day, and to travel by an
indicated route to a designated port,
at 6 o'clock the following
When the invasion green light"
is given, these code numbers will
flash over the telegraph wires to
train crews assembled and waiting
for action.
Other invasion preparations in
clude the erection Of three large
depots for storing supplies by United
States Army engineers. They worked
IL and l3 hours a day, sometimes
more, to get the depots built as
quickly as possible One installation
covers more than 800 acres and has
Is miles of railroad tracks tn con.