| Show German erman Machine Machin Depends Depends' On Galicia Oil Fields By DeWitt Mackenzie Associated Press War Analyst Many things are contributing to Hitler's c certain defeat but the scarcity of petroleum petroleum life life blood of war war ranks ranks high among the causes of a downfall which maybe may maybe maybe be more terrible than that experience experienced expert expert- ence by any other minded bloody-minded conqueror of history In Fridays Friday's column I suggested that this fatal we weakness kness in the nazi gangsters gangster's defense w was s likely to show up strikingly in the forthcoming forthcoming forth forth- forthcoming coming invasion of western Eu Eu- rope That final great clash at arms will strain the resources of both sides to the limit and it will find the fuehrer sadly lacking Inthe Inthe in inthe the wherewithal to stand off dis dis- dis- dis aster As Lieutenant General Omar Oman Bradley commander of American ground forces in Britain remarked yesterday to Yankee officers officers of of- officers prep preparing ring for the invasion We have havethe the best soldiers and best best equipment and ald more more- O of j it than the Germans ever ever dreamed of Gateways to Reich That's the position now now and its it's becoming increasingly difficult for forthe forthe forthe the nazis with each passing day especially in the matter of that important all petroleum Not only are allied bombers raking Hitler's oil sources but if you will look at your m maps ps you will see that the paramount sectors on the southern Russian front are in oil regions They are in Rumania and Galicia In southeastern Poland Now dont don't misunderstand the ilie situation Both those zones are strategic gateways into enemy- enemy held t territory quite apart from their producing oil-producing value Moreover Moreover More More- over Galicias Galicia's production of pe- pe is small compared with Rumania's output Still so great is Hitler's Hiders need of oil that both these fields are priceless to him Veritas British official war corn com commentator coni- coni pins the thing down like this The German war machine c cannot cannot can can- n- n not do without Rumanian and Galician Galician Ga- Ga Galician lician oil Must 1 Have Oil Thus Hitler has a double reason for defending both these theaters for for their military value and for their oil You can gauge the e ex extent extent tent of his anxiety by the fierceness fierceness fierceness fierce fierce- ness of his resistance in the Tar- Tar sector of Poland where one of the bloodiest combats combats' of the war is being Waged Also unless signs fail we are on the verge of another titanic struggle along the Jassy front which shields the oil field from the red forces thrusting down from the north Upon the success in holding this Rumanian front also largely depends the fate of the badly mauled nazi army of the theOdessa theOdessa Odessa sector Should the Russians Russians Russians Rus Rus- make a quick through break-through into the basin the doom of the Germans at Odessa will be sealed While this great bat battle le of Rum Rumania Rumania Ru Ru- m mania nia is boiling up our Yankee b bombers are pouring high explosives explosives explosives into the oil n field ld Thus it may easily be that the wells of 01 will lie in ruins long before the struggle of land forces in that i theater has be been beOn n decided Meantime the Invasion of western west west- em ern rn Eur Europe pe is drawing near If 11 Hitler loses his Rumanian oil now rot not to mention Galicias Galicia's small c contribution it on-it on it will be a catastrophe catastrophe catastrophe catas catas- for him |
