The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-05-10

into helpless Poland.
 Two days later, at II a. m.-th cnded-the tired voice of Neville ( Great Britain would abide by her E hours later France, somewhat reluct
 The war that was to engulf 4 nations and sweep across three continents and countless islands anC waters had started.
 New Kind of War
 To most Americans the news came with frightening suddenness But Europeans had been listening for manW months to the rising beat of the German war tom-toms They had seen the Fazi machine operate in Spain and watched il l gobble up Austria. Czechoslovakia and Memel in ominous succession They had awaited the impending bloW-up with much of the subdued awe of people awaiting an eclipse of the sun.
 Only the British and French governments had refused to believe Hitler would quit playing poker and draw his gun. Chamberlain had banked on appeasement. Munich the French counted on their "im- pregnable" Maginot Line and the worlds finest army
 As a result, the Allies were trag- lcally unprepared when the blow finally fell that September morning Once again, as in 1914, they had failed to guage the might of the German army.
 For the Nazis' new Blitzkrieg - lightning war-technique had de- stroyed all concepts of war as the Allies knew it. With speed that astonished the world. German ar mored columns sliced into Poland from five directions ,isolating the bewildered defending armies.
 Planes. Tanks Coordinate
 Overhead, Hermann Goering's bomber fleets paced the advance with clockwork timing -pulverizing Polish troops, guns and supply lines, and bombing the defenders air force out of existence before it left the ground. In key areas. the invaders were guided by fifth col umnlsts planted many months in advance.
 The Poles were geographicallv unable to receive aid from their Allies. and before the first week was out Nazi mechanical columns had clamped a ring Of steel about warsaw. Harddriving tank plane teams were overrunning Upper Si- lesla, Danzig, Cracow and Lwow. The Polish government fled to Eng land.
 Even the Germans were surpris- ed at their quick success. The Russians rolled across the Polish border from the east just in time to protect Soviet interests in Po- land. On Sept. 27, Warsaw-almost obilterated by bombs-fell, ending Follsh resistance and completing one of the most remarkable mili- tary campaigns in history.
 Hitler now shifted his weight of arms to the west. where the Allied Generalissimo Maurice Gamelin was boasting that the Nazis were "fools' to have given him so much tune to complete our mobiliza- tion.'
 'PhOney War Period
 But for long months to come there was to be no action.
 During one of Europes coldest winters the opposing armies hud- dled and looked at each other from behind their Maginot and Sieg- fried Qualifications. In Flanders the British rehearsed maneuvers calculated to take them crashing through the German lines when weather permitted.
 Allied commentators, incredu- lous, dubbed the interlude a pho new war" or "sitzkrieg." The Ger man high command used the lull to plug the last chinks in the Wehrmacht's armor, and to man 1lnal plans for conquest.
 Meanwhile. Russia. fearing war With Germany. invited Finnish to Moscow to discuss a non-aggression pact. In return for a guarantee of Soviet assistance in the event of war, Russia asked the use of certain bases in Finnish hor- der territory. Finland flatly refused to cooperate. Premier Stalin, real lzing little time was left. send Red Army divisions up the KareIian isthmus. Nov. 28, 1889.
 Films Cease Struggle
 The Flnns proved to be no push over. Entrenched in their Manner helm defenses, they demonstrated their toughness in a series of pitch ed battles fought at sub-zera tenn peratures. For more than two months of bitter fighting they held the upper hand. exacting a heavy toll Of the Red armies.
 Early in February the Russians changed their tactics, shifting the entire force Of their attack against relatively small key sectors, soft. ened first by murderous weight Of explosives. Wave upon wave of determined Pficeiap tron.&s t.,,.,1. |