| Show i Behind the War News Captain Craige B By Capt John II Craigo As Lt Gen George S S. S Patton's Pattons Pattons Patton's Pattons Patton's Pat- Pat tons ton's American Third army hammers at the German forts which girdle Metz and Thionville Thion- Thion ville the real battle for lor Germany Germany Germany Ger Ger- many is being fought ou ht far to the rear along supply lines reaching from ports on the channel and North sea to allied supply dumps and warehouses just back of ot the fighting i front Since American and British armies outran their supplies of ot ammunition gasoline and food early in September the problem problem problem lem of oC moving the vast quantities quantities quan quan- of these stores needed to sustain an offensive has been the principal cause for the slowdown slowdown slowdown slow slow- down of the war From the time of the Day D-Day landing of ot the al allies allies arlies ar- ar lies at their beachhead in Normandy Normandy Normandy Nor Nor- mandy up to the ver very recent past it has been necessary to bring ashore the vast tonnage of oC equipment needed In makeshift harbors and artificially constructed constructed constructed con con- ports The e capture of ot French ports and their reconditioning together er with the recent partial openIng opening opening open open- ing of the undamaged Belgian port of Antwerp has gradually changed this picture Recently according to reports in informed circles a vastly increased flow of ot allied supplies has begun that will make it possible soon to launch the huge winter fall-winter offensive on the western front forecast by American and BritIsh BritIsh British Brit Brit- ish authorities One of the most closely guarded guard guard- ed secrets of the war concerns the location of the areas to which the greatest quantities of supplies are arc being sent because in those sectors the heaviest al allied allied allied al- al lied attacks will come Obviously Obvious Obvious- ly the present drive of oC Gen Patton's Pattons Pattons Patton's Pattons Patton's Pat- Pat tons ton's army Is not an out all-out general general general gen gen- eral attack nor is it probable that tha t a main offensive will be launched in the sector where the present operations are arc taking place Between Gen Pattons Patton's army and the heart of Germany nazi defenses artificial and natural aro among the strongest of any sector in the whole frontier Metz and Thionville themselves arc are not parts of this main mam defensive defensive defensive de de- de- de zone but merely advance advance advance ad ad- vance outposts that arc are being held for the purpose of slowing down the allied advance The inner citadels both of Thionville and Metz are arc ancient French fortifications powerful in the their r da day but of no great present defensive power Around these taking advantage of hilly terrain well adapted to defense are constructed circles of outpost outpost outpost out out- post forts of con considerable sId era b 1 e strength But after the last of ot these outer defensive positions is mopped up by Gen Pattons Patton's ti fighting men the Yanks will be still sUB faced laced by the positions of ot the Maginot line about a dozen miles mileR to the east of Metz and beyond the Maginot line the powerful defensive zone of the Siegfried line built on difficult hilly country where the thc arr army on the defense has all the On the southern end also of ot the allied line where the American American Amer Amer- ican iGan Seventh army Is striking toward Colmar and Belfort the attacking troops face difficult territory In the moun moun- thins where they are arc now fighting fighting fightIng fight fight- ing with the Maginot 1 line the Rhine river and the Siegfried line still to cross The section of the allied front where the nazi defensive belt is reported to be weakest and the terrain most favor favorable ble to the attack is in the north from Cologne to Cleve Here the natural obstacles to an offensive arc are not great while Essen and the Ruhr seats of Germanys Germany's greatest war production are al almost almost almost al- al most within stones stone's throw of the battle mines The northern section of the front also has the advantage of or the allied point of view of being not much more than miles from the great undamaged port of Antwerp which is only a fraction traction of the distance from any other harbor in American American- British hands With these natural natural natural nat nat- ural advantages this northern sector of oC the allied line may well be the scene of ot fireworks when the winter offensive goes into high gear Statements and opinions herein herein herein here here- in are private to the writer and andare andare andare are not to be construed as re reflecting reflecting reflecting re- re the views of oC the navy department |
