The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-01-02
Interpreting
The War
BY KIRKE L. SIMPSON
Associated Press War ANALYST

The time lag imposed by the
Allies on revelation of develop.
ments in the battle of the Belgian
bulge, continues to mask the exact
situation.
But there seems little doubt in
view of a belated report OF an
additional six mile American ad.
vance west Of Bastogne, however,
that an enemy retreat from the
dangerous western loop of the
bulge to escape entrapment is in
progress.
While the direction or width Of
the new Third Army forward surge
in the St. Hubert area is not in.
dicated, a six mile advance there
would certainly put American
forces astride considerable sec.
ton of the Bastogne-Marche high.
way. 1t also probably would re.
store an important section Of the
Observation-Disclosures railway to
Allied use. 1t would virtually close
the gap between Third Army
forces in the south and First Army
divisions on the north of the Bas.
ltogne-Manhay waistline position,
splitting the German bulge through
the middle.
With that advance the original
corridor carved out by General
Patrons men to rescue the gal.
liant garrison Of Bastogne must
have been eliminated The line so
far as it can be traced has been
lflattened out on the southwestern
angle of the German bulge to
such an extent that enemy hopes
of regairnng possessions of the
town can be but slight.
Nazi failure to take Bastogne
from its American garrison mark
ed the turning point in the Ger
man counterattack. Bastogne is
the communications key to the
whole upper center area Of the
bulge. Without it, the German
commander hope of reaching the
Mouse valley either to the west
or to the north on a scale to
force American evacuation of the
Aachen-Roer bulge into Germany
was doomed to failure once the
shock of surprise had passed and
General Eisenhower had regroup-
| ed his armies.
Loss Of the western loop Of the
Belgian bulge would convert the
German foothold into a relatively
Il shallow dent but one sufficiently
wide at it's base Line to make it
difficult job to reduce it and
J throw the foe back behind Ger
man frontiers. There are intima-
( tons in some front line dispatches
that despite the progress of Pat
= tons troops, Allied prospects for
= turning the Nazi gamble offensive
. into the worst German defeat in
the west are waning. There has
! been little for several days to
!, indicate any substantial American
gains on either the north or south
y shoulder positions at the east
!, ern base of the bulge.
. In the light of the situation in
Belgium, reported multiple Nazi
counter attacks in some strength
D both east and west of the Bitche
anchorage of the old French Magl-
: not Line in the Karlsruhe frontier
:, angle to the south look like a di-
: version move.
r The Bitche attacks probably are
! aimed at forcing return of some
part of the Third Army to the
i. Saar area, thus relieving pressure
! on the southern face of the Bel
6 gian bulge.
E That the enemy has the means
, to mount new major offensive
. effort in the Bitche region as
front line advices suggest seems
> highly doubtful. However, Nazl
Leadership cannot doubt in any
!, event that it has already succeed
= ed in stalemating the Allied Saar
;. Basin offensive indefinitely.