Dickenson County herald. [volume] (Clintwood, Va.) 1939-195?, 1945-01-11
WESTERN FRONT:
History Repeats

counter offensive Field Marshal
Won Rludstedt launched against AL
lied armies on the western front was
reminiscent of General Luden-
dorff's last desperate throw Of the
dice in 1918 in an effort to improve
Germany's position for the negoti-
alton Of peace.
Then, Ludendorff's drive failed;
this time, resolute u. S. troops
moved in to stem Won Rundstedt's
attack, with decisive Allied counter
measures expected to not only blunt
the enemy's thrust but also sap the
most formidable part of his force
and reduce his war potential for
next spring.
There was one difference between
Ludendorff's suicidal gamble in 1918
and Won Rundstedt's Of this war,
however, and that lay in Helm
rich Hinmler's success in holding
the German home front together to
supply the wehrmacht with men
and materials for the big drive. In
1918, on the other hand, Ludendorff
was faced with a crumbling home
front, once rising to bawling rage
in those months because tottering
government failed to provide suffi-
cient troops and supplies.
AS the Germans desperate
drive developed, it followed the
pattern of other major Nazi at
lacks of World War III, with pow
erful armored spearheads
punching through forward de-
lenses and then speeding on
ward to let the trailing infantry
deal with opposing elements sur
rounded to the rear.
It was thus that the Germans
wiped out the Poles; broke France,
and marched third of the way
across Russia. This time, however,
the enemy faced a stronger, better
equipped, more resolute foe, and
as his attack developed, U. S. re-
serves thrown into the battle moved
to dam the surge.
In launching the offensive, Won
Rundstedt followed the 1910 inva
sion pathways, pointing spearheads
across Belgium and Luxembourg.
In choosing this battle-ground be-
low Aachen, the Nazi field marshal
concentrated the bulk Of his forces
against the First army, which had
thrown the Germans onto the edge
of the Rhineland plain.
In the early fighting, the Nazi
thrust against Monschau was ap-
preciably contained by the Yanks,
but the spearhead farther south
probed as deeply as % miles to
the important road juncture of
Stavelot in Belgium. Still another
Nazi force pushed across the Bel
gium border and threw a pincer
around st. With.
In Luxembourg to the south, the
Germans drove through the Ar
dennes forest beyond Echternach
after meeting stiff U. S. resistance.
Once the German attack got
UAuCA ways GAN D1ssAC AAAOSA AAASV
a smuggling match, with the ene-
my pouring men into the initial
breaches to exploit their breaks,
while the Allies moved reserves
to the front to check the drive.
Coincident with Won Rundstedt's
smash to the north, Gen. George S.
Patton's U. S. First army encoun-
tered stiffening Nazi resistance in
the Saar, with the enemy following
his favored pattern of throwing in
short, sharp armored counter-at-
tacks in an attempt to naornentarily
check the Yanks' push.
Meanwhile, it was announced that
Hinmler himself had taken over
command Of German resistance in
the Colrnar pocket in Alsace, throw
ing In strong detachnfants OF his
motley but fanatical home guard
units ranging from 10 to so years in
age.