The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1945-01-11
M&Ma@a
N4W ta}!6 No
M6 osf~ f@1fs%
Washington, d. G.
NO MILITARY ERROR

Tor failing to evaluate the concentra
ton of German troops opposite thu
First army about a week before
hand. But there were other factors
contributing to the reverse. none O
which can be laid at the doorstep
OF a single commander. BasicauJ
they are factors which only Genera
Eisenhower and General Marshal
themselves could properly evaluate
and act on.
Here are some of the inside, basic
factors involved:
L. General Marshall himself
ordered the U. S. offensive which
began November 8, and which
continued with battering-ram
tactics until Won Rundstedt
turned the tide against us. Mar
shall, visiting the battlefront in
October, said that during the
winter the Germans could mo-
bilize 100 new divisions, SO 1t
was wise for US to clear them
off the west bank of the Rhine
before winter closed in.
2. There was and is no disposition
to doubt the wisdom Of General Mar
shall's decision. However. these
battering-ram tactics cost men. also
tire men out. The American system
is to keep divisions on the front line.
bringing up fresh men only for re,
placements. Thus the divisions now
at the front have been fighting stead
lily since the landing in Normandy
last June-with, Of course. a lot OF
men coming up as requirements.
Germans Rested Troops.
8. This is considered an excellent
system and gets results. However.
the Germans Immediately took out
their battle troops after Normandy
and sent them to rest behind the
lines. The Nazi boys and old men
we encountered in the Siegfried line
made US think the German army
was shot to pieces, but it wasn't.
The experienced battle troops, now
refreshed after a long rest. r TAX
ing the offensive against us.
4. The war department itself was
responsible for a lot of the favorable
news which gave the public a gen.
eral feeling of overconidence. One
of its most important indications
was that some 800, 900 German
troops were killed or taken prisoners
during the cleanup of France, max
ing a stable hole in the Nazi army.
OF these, however. about 400, 600
were Russian-Ukrainian labor bat
talions. Thus the American public
had reasons to believe that a large
slice of the German army was deci-
mated.
S. Germany's new Royal Tiger
tank is superior to ours and we
have known it. 1t is extremely
difficult to knock out of commits
sion. However, We thought the
war was going to be over soon
and that we could finish up the
job with the tanks already on
hand-of which we had tremen-
dous quantities. More recently,
however, we have started build
ing a big tank which can equal
or better the Royal Tiger.
Robots Beat Airplanes.
6. Robot bombs and rocket bombs
can fly in any weather whereas air
planes can't. Also they don't re-
quire men. Thus the Germans have
been able to bomb us from the air
by robots and rockets-while be-
cause of bad weather we couldn't
bomb them. The Nazis lay out a
square of territory in and behind
our lines. then Systematically pep.
per it with rocket bombs. They can
aim them well enough to hit within
certain areas
7. The German system is to at
tack suddenly with tremendous force
and heavy rmo in one small area;
they concentrated hundreds of tanks
in their first attack. Once they
broke through, they spread out. Also
the Nazis had little to lose.
8. However, it remains a fact
that we had advance Information
of great Nazi activity for about
a week before the attack came,
though apparently we sized 1t up
as preparation for retreat rather
than attack.
Note - Gen. Courtney Hodges,
against whose First army the blow
was launched, is regarded as an
average American general. He was
not able to make the grade at West
Point. but Immediately enlisted in
the army and has worked his way
up. He was a major in command Of
infantry in the last war, one rank
higher than Marshall, who was then
a captain, and has commanded in
fantry all his career since, having
risen to be chief of infantry shortly
before we entered the war.
UNDER THE DOME
q The expansion in the tire industry