Detroit evening times., 1945-03-10
&
BEHIND
The News
BY Paul.
Mation

The hdTG attacks and con-
slant advances Of the American
armies across the fringe of Ger
many 10 the Rhine, have caused
many people, even some nom
military officials here, TO expect
The war VIII be over in week,
two weeks, three.
The decisive undcrcurrents Of
war run siewef-and deeper.
The answer to all such inquiries
here as 10 the NaZi war end
simply lS-"Not now This is
the situation:
Lately the Germans have
been retiring -hchind- the Rhine
on our front. They made no
fight for Cologne as at Aachen,
but Cologne is on the west bank
of the river and therefore not
important to the Nazi defense
plan. The river there is 400
yards wide, and therefore the
formidable barrier defense plan.
Bridges nave been left open.
as long as possible, not because
Of German Generalization, but
10 get as many of their resist
ing troops safely back up to the
last available moment.
-EROSSIAG- -eEthe Rhine and
y an offensive by us on 10
Berlin will now require differ
ent tactics and equipment than
IN the approach to the river.
We Will have to stop 10 reor-
ganize.
Furthermore, we only partly
succeeded in the announced
Eisenhower objective of de-
stroyinG the German armies
west of the river. Heavy fight
ing and heavy casualties have
developed In one or TWO places.
mainly the northwest sector,
and we have taken possibly
$4,000 prisoners.
The bulk of the German
First Parachute Army and part
of the Nineteenth have been de-
-SlEnNed hut general resist 5aif4ea
has been firm; their line broken
only at one point in front of
the American Ninth Army and
they have retired slowly, with
out suffering annihilation.
our air force has had great
success disrupting tranSporta-
tion in Germany. To its efforts
may be attributed the Nazi
inability 10 make a stronger
stand west Of the river. The
NaziS simply could not shift
their troops around fast enough
TO meet our power spearheads.
Also. our air force has cut
a line Of destruction across
the German interior running
roughly from Bremen to Han
over-Hamm, literally severing
Germany.
DAIL centerS and yards. rail
~ and highway bridges, loco
motives and trains were No 1
prioritlcS in these attacks. No.
, prloritieS were the deStruc-
tion Of oil reserves, and this at
tack is credited with having
driven the luftwaffc from the
skies.
So also with the Russians.
Their brilliant winter offensive
was stopped on a line Croughly)
at the Oder and NeiSSe rivers.
They were stopped not only by
German resistance and their
own over-eXtended supply lines,
but because large pockets of
Germans were left in their rear,
sitting on their supply routes.
Far back at KocnigSberg in
East Prussia, a powerful Nazi
pocket disrupted the main sup
ply route 10 the Oder front
from Moscow weeks after the
Reds had reached the Oder.
These had 10 be "liquidated"
as the Russians say.
Stains men were i'm a dan
gerouS position, furthermore,
on the northern flank of their
advance route. Disaster fell
upon similar Russian advances
through the heart of Poland in
19l4-l5, from German counter
attacks Upon the north flank
Since stopping. the Russians
have been clearing out and cut
ting off the most important
-StrHnChnldS-alon tho
Baltic Sea. a move essential 10
the security of their position.
NOW the Reds also will have
~ 10 reorganiZe for a new Of
fenSlve and their further drives
upon Berlin and other points
westward will no doubt be
timed 10 coordinate with our
efforts across the Rhine.
The expiring winter events
Of the European war thus be-
como clear a simultaneous Of
fcnSivc by the Russians and by
MS was apparently planned.
RundStcdt. the Nazi general.
upset our end of it by his sur
prise Counterattack upon us
through the ArdenneS at Christ
mas
This attack was so well
screened. 1t now appears we did