| Show I By Ray Tucker and ond I National N. N I Wh I. I Ir I I Alb Albert u rt WASHINGTON WASHINGTON Here Here a are r e fundamentals regarding the in invasion invasion invasion in- in as seen by military au au- au- au Or at least this is how staff and logistic experts talk among themselves A year ago Stalin announced that if 60 axis divisions were taken off his neck by the opening of the second front he would be satisfied The conservative official official official of of- estimate is that Eisenhower's ers er's threat has compelled Berlin to mobilize 69 divisions or combat troops in western Europe Europe so so the red marshals marshal's requirement has been met and he is ready to go out all in the cas east t tOur Our success will depend on ona ona ona a strategy strategy something something comparable comparable com corn parable to the brilliant surprise In Jn north Africa b shipping available Including ports c air cover d size of our force in men and armament To move a single division across water takes as much effort effort effort ef ef- ef- ef fort as the transportation of Sour Jour times that number on land Ordinarily an amphibious expedition expedition should have moonlight dry weather veather a a. calm sea and fa favorable favorable favorable fa- fa tide A A. unit of ot or more troops can usually count counton on only from three to four hours of perfect tide Much of the terrain from Norway Norway Norway Nor Nor- way to Spain is unsuitable ItIs itis it is rugged swampy and is covered covered cov coy ered by crisscrossing waterways Hence striking time and position are limited The first problem of our men will be the fortification system Bombing cannot destroy the the wall declares General H. H G. G it the Martin but can destroy fighting value of its garrison It will vill either kill or injure the defenders or pin them down to toone toone toone one spot We may do what the Germans did to the Maginot line instead of attacking it frontally they flanked it and drove at the French armies from its rear The prime object of nazi forts forts is not to repel our offensive but butto butto butto to break it up and confuse our officers giving German reserves the opportunity to get under way This part of the chiefly motorized outfits willbe will willbe willbe be about 40 miles mUes back of the shore Its general probably Rommel can be expected to attack within with with- in 24 hours hours or or as soon as he is sure that our landing is the real thing and not a a. big commando run hit affair Within three days ho he could bring down at least 12 divisions to any threatened threatened threat threat- ened section of the line line provid provid provided ed that we do not penetrate too many gaps at once Up to the moment of landing the element of surprise and the initiative are always with the amphibious force orce Thereafter the momentum must be maintaIned maintained main main- tamed or the initiative passes to the defenders Speed is essential Air Chief Marshal Tedders Tedder's I maxim is unification of command command com corn mand and flexibility As Eisenhower's Eisenhower's Eisen Elsen- howers hower's right-hand right man roan he must make quick decisions in employing employing employ employ- ing irig specific arms to meet every contingency He has the reputation reputation reputation tation of having this mental alacrity For example at Salerno Salerno Salerno Sa Sa- Sa- Sa lerno he switched bombers from range long-range strategic strafing and utilized them as flying ar ar- ar- ar tillery When only 1000 yards separated our barges from the beach he sent the giants ahead and from an altitude of feet they saturated the coastal barriers with high explosives We now have so many planes in Europe that in one day they consume more gasoline than do doall doall doall all the A card holders in the n United States In addition to this armada armada- the allies ames have been training borne air soldiers for forthe forthe forthe the past two years to harass the back country in support of landing landing landing land land- ing operations When they have dynamited bridges torn up telegraph wires wrecked car rails ralls and blown holes in highways to slow up reinforcements they will double back and try to catch the nazi shore garrisons in the rear while others swarm over the forts forts' from boats Freight gliders and h hu huge u ge g-e transport aircraft can carry 20 tons This makes it possible to supply paratroops with vehicles artillery and tanks At the same time the underground bands of local patriots are expected to sabotage to assist the On Armistice day 1918 Foch Pershing and Haig had divisions divisions divi divi- or fighters on the battlefield Conditions are somewhat different now but our generals predict that before the coming November 11 the Americans Amen Ameri cans British Russians and other nationalities will vill encircle the nazis with an even larger host I |
