Detroit evening times., 1945-02-12
THE w ORLD
IN REVIEW
BY Mai. Gen.
D. P. Barrows

THE long European struggle
- has now reached phase
that calls for co-ordinated full
power assault upon Germany,
simultaneously from the west
and from the east
II these two assaults can be
brought off together and sue
ceed in crushing the lines OF
German resistance, both in the
Rhineland and along the Oder
River, the armies of Germany
may be completely shattered
and the war brought TO an end,
II is essential that these two
major assaults be simultaneous
and that each embodies the
necessary strength 10 destroy
the German resistance. We
know il is the Russian purpose
TO cross the Oder River and
reach Berlin, and that il is the
purpose of the armies under
Gen. Eisenhower TO smas s h
through the German West Wall,
cross the Rhine. and gain the
open levels of Westphalia and
Hanover.
We know also, in the main,
how the Allied armies are dis
posed for this battle.
QUT on the German side we
~ do not know his strength
or dispositions nor his plan OF
resistance.
Our armies doubtless possess
this military intelligence and
can calculate accurately the re-
naming strength of the wehr-
macht.
But this information is not
released.
German radio propaganda is
loud and constant, but untrust-
worthy, and seems designed TO
persuade US that nation is on
the point of collapse, when
acually IL may be stiffening for
a final desperate attempt to
preserve the integrity of the
Reich.
The whole question is of such
extraordinary Importance we
must do the best we can 10
interpret the military picture
and estimate It's possible out
come.
In the west the effect Of the
battle in the ArdenneS, which is
now officially stated TO have
been a complete German
disaster, has had the effect Of
drawing the Allied armies closer
together in an arc that extends
along the Roer River from its
confluence with the Mas or
MeuSe, from Roermonde 10 the
gorges and streams in the Eifel
Mountains, where the Roer
River takes its rise.
HERE, on a front of about so
H miles the following Allied
armies are disposed.
The British Second Army has
been drawn south of the Mas
River and is on an attack front
from Roermonde to Linnich.
Joining it on the south is the
American Ninth Army, facing
the elaborately organized Ger
man strong point at Julich.
Next is the American First
Army, facing an equally power
ful obstruction around Duren.
The right of the American
First Army is now renewing its
effort TO turn the line below
lakes and mountain streams of
the upper Roer.
Further south, one portion of
Gen. Patton'S Third Army,
which was moved north from
the Saar area TO smash the left
of Won RundStedt's thrust in
the ArdenneS, has cleared the
enemy out of Belgian territory.
and is pressing eastw I'D
through the Eifel Mountains.
II has enveloped the enemy's
strong point at Pruem.
Thus Eisenhower attack
force. which is designed 10
break through the Siegfried
Line and reach the Rhine River
at Cologne, has been strength
ened by armies drawn in closer
both from the north and from
the south.
II is clear il is Eisenhower's
plan TO make his main assault
on this sector.
Great obstacles remain in the
final barriers OF the' Siegfried
Line, but only 30 miles in front
OF him lies the stream of the
Rhine and the great prizes Of
Bonn. Cologne and Dusseldorf,
which is the gate into the Ruhr.
y