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Behind the War News Major Maior Eliot By 3 Maj l George Fielding Eliot Eliot The great offensive against 1 the western defenses of or Germany Germany Germany Ger Ger- many has begun After a series of ot preparatory moves each of which contributed to the major aim Gen Eisenhower Eisen Eisen- Els Eisenhower n- n hower has launched the American American American Amer Amer- AmerI I ican First and Ninth armies side sideby sideby sideby by side in a great drive for the I Rhine In succession previously he had thrown forward the Seventh American Third American Second Second Second Sec Sec- ond British and First French armies striking one after another another another an an- other at various portions of the front Now six allied armies all told are in action the First Canadian and First allied borne air-borne armies are still to be bo heard from but they will surely have their parts in the great task of ot breaching the German defensive crust along the Rhine For days we have been watchIng watchIng watching watch- watch Ing ing- the unfolding step by step of or another Eisenhower master plan of battle We Ve have watched the successive attacks on widely separated fronts we have noted the reluctance of the enemy to meet these attacks by the swift counteraction which has hitherto been so characteristic of ot the German tactical scheme and we have realized that tills this steady pressure was absorbing the enemy's energies and attention while giving a strong strong- indication of ot his shortage of mobile re reserves reserves reserves re- re serves and his determination to conserve e these forces against a aday aday aday day of greater need All of this we have seen be before before be- be fore on a small scale scalo in Tunisia on a greater scale In Normandy We hardly needed to be told what was coming next what next what has now happened The terrific blow at the chosen sector of oC attack attack attack at at- tack in overwhelming ground strength and preceded by a mighty concentration of or air power This is the way that Dwight Eisenhower makes war This is his well tested and proven pattern of victory There can be no doubt that Gen Eisenhower is making making- his major effort with the American First and Ninth armies apparently apparently apparently striking first of all toward a front defined by the German towns of Julich and Duren moving toward the Rhino Rhine in the area Duessel Duisberg-Duessel- dorf Cologne The First army has had a long period to refit t tand and regroup the Ninth has not been previously reported in action action action ac ac- ac- ac tion on this front and comes fresh to the battle This Is not to say of course that the other armies will not r 1 have their parts to play and andI very important parts We do donot donot I not for tor example know yet to toI what extent the tempo of or the j I offensive will develop to the northwest where the British Second army and the Canadian First army may drive once more toward the last river barrier which was almost breached at Arnhem two months ago Gen Eisenhower disposes of or sufficient troops to keep extendIng extending extending extend extend- ing tho the front of his attack to any extent the terrain permits The Germans do not dispose of sufficient sufficient suf suf- troops to oppose a major attack on a wide front and considering considering considering con con- our numerical ground superiority and our air superiority superiority it would seem as certain as anything can be in m war that they must give way somewhere The objective of ot the attack on the First and Ninth army fronts Is undoubtedly first of all to push the Germans back to the Rhine and then to break across the Rhine into the open plains of or northern Germany If It these two tasks are successfully accomplished accomplished accomplished ac ac- ac- ac the extent to which the breakthrough can be exploited exploited exploited ex ex- will bo be governed in part by the weather and in part by bythe bythe bythe the success which the enemy has had in his efforts to create a counterattacking mass of ot ma ma- Thus the great battle the battle tho greatest In American military history one of the greatest in inthe inthe inthe the history of the tho world world opens opens under conditions as favorable to allied success as could be bo expected expected expected ex ex- at this season of ot the year We should not regard this battle as the final battle of ot the war against Germany probably it will not prove to be that But it Is certainly a battle in which success will carr carry the fighting deep Into the heart of the enemy's enemy's enemy's en en- emy's country and will bring home to the German people the war which they dared to launch upon the world five years ago For Germany the day of ot reckoning reckoning reckoning reck reck- has come |
