Evening star., 1945-06-19


some surprise in the ability of the
Volkstrum to maneuver forward and
to hold the flanks rather firmly, but
there was never any fright in the
high command at any time that
that attack was going to push
through. We captured their general
orders on the first day. We never
had the slightest thought of any
such a thing.
@. Did our feint toward Calais
explain why the Germans did not
make a stronger effort to throw us
off the beaches?
A. Well, we thought they made a
pretty strong effort. He did bring
down what armor he had, which
were the German panzer divisions
and panzer grenadier divisions and
his paratroopers. He did bring them
down, but he did keep some very
good divisions up near Calais. Yes,
it explained his slowness in bring
ing them down.
Meeting With Zhukov.
@. Would you care to discuss your
meeting with Gen. Zhukov?
A. Well, all those Russian gen.
erals that I have run into are un-
questionably capable soldiers. They
have taken the measure of the Ger
man. They know what he can
do. They know what they have to
put together to whip him. They
attack when they have a tremen-
dous amount of reserves ready, and
they don't make these little nib
bling tactical advances, which are
always so expensive. When they at
tack they mean to break through
and crush, and they do. They have
a soldier that fights hard and well
and they have been we'll led. They
are not equipped in the same way
as ours, but for certain types Of
terrain in which they operate. par
ticularly in the spring and in the
winter. their own type of equip
ment is probably better. The horse
and the man carrying the stuff or
his back is probably better in those
conditions than is the truck.
@. We didn't hear verI much
about Russian air. Was that USED
to any great extent?
A. The Russian air is. of course
not organized like ours. We have
tremendous formations of heavy
big bombers. The Russian air has
been developed more specifically fol
use always right on the front line
Yes, they have some good fighting
machines. We have seen them. We
saw their performance and we know
they are good, and they are good
flyers.
v Weapon Damage.
O. How much damage did the
German v weapons do to our actua.
military plans?
A. The only place that the '
weapons hurt our plans was some
damage around Antwerp. I thinl
if there had been four months diff
ference it would have been very bad
They were just coming into produc'
ton, and. of course, we couldn'
conceal the facts in England. The,
tried to rush and they probabl.
started using them before they wer'
quite ready, but we captured grea
stockpiles of those things they wer
just getting ready to use
@. General. had you expected tn
war to end in Europe when it did?
A. No. For once in my life I an
going to defend myself. On Octobe
20, 1943, I made a bet that the wa
in Europe would terminate in 1914
Well, have been jeered at a littl,
bit because I missed it four months
But I just want to ask you this
Under the conditions, if you will e
back to October, l943, how many
people believed that we were goine
to be able to invade Europe success.
fully and rush forward like we did:
What was expressing was a ire.
mendous confidence in our ability te
60 across the Channel and whip the
German. I thought We could do il
in the next year. Well, I was wrong
by four months.
@. With tens of thousands of your
men going across the country tc
the Pacific in the next few months
have you any tip you would like te
give the home folks about what we
can give them?
Normal Human Beings.
A. The only thing is for goodness
sake don't psychoanalyze them
They are perfectly normal beings
They have been through a lot anc
very naturally they want pat or
the back, and they want to be tolc
they are pretty good fellows, anc
they are. But want to be treated
just like they were treated wher
they went away.
@. We understand that those
Negro volunteers went into mixec
units last November. Based upor
this experience, how good an organ.
ization do you think can be de.
veloped when these men have beer
selected, trained, and assigned as 6
part Of an integrated army?
A. I don't know exactly what yol
mean. 1 formed platoons of them
and took platoons and gave then
trained noncommissioned officer!
and trained officers and they op.
Grated as platoons wherever there
was a division that was short.
have formed from my experience NJ
general conclusions that I woulc
certainly be ready to express now az
type of organization for the
future Under those conditions they
fought well. They were volunteers
and they did good work.
@. General, this business of frat
ernization, would you estimate thai
that would require years to meet
those conditions?
A. No. I shouldn't think so. ]
should think sooner or later we have
got to find some answer through
'education and example. In my opin.
ion you can't build peace on hate ans
with club. There has got to bt
some way But you must find these
criminals and people that are re.
sponsible, and If there Is one thine
that I would oppose with every
bit Of energy that I could, that l.
letting single criminal or any one
to whom you could trace any atom
of guilt escape. He must be pun.
ished. 1t is our only hope of show.
ing these people that crime doesn't