TACTICAL LOSS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 1, 2 January 1945, Page 5

TACTICAL LOSS

FIGHTING IN SALIENT

Allies Appear To Have Lost Chance To Destroy Enemy

N.Z. Press Association—Copyright Rec. 11 a.m. NEW YORK, Jan. 1. The chances of retrieving the tactical reverse inflicted by von Rundstedt's armies in the last two weeks by the destruction of the buik of the German forces involved appears to be slowly slipping from the Allied grasp, says the New York Times correspondent at Supreme Headquarters, Drew Middleton. The new year opens with the Germans firmly entrenched in strong positions, from which they must be driven at considerable cost before the Allies can even plan offensive operations elsewhere. "During the last week," Mr. Middleton adds, "the enemy has steadily reinforced the flanks of his salient with infantry, tanks and self-propelled guns to construct a position which, in firepower and numerical strength, is in many ways equal to that to the south of Caen, in the Normandy campaign. Early last week, there was, one feels, a fleeting opportunity for a concerted drive from north to south, which might have sliced" through the then rudimentary German defences and cut off some of von Rundstedts armour to the west. "Since then tne Germans have brought up infantry, laid mines, spread barbed wire and dug in, making what would have been a comparatively easy job a formidable ■operation. The Allies must now expend considerable time and effort in mopping up the salient which still points to the Meuse and divides our battle lines. It would be wrong to ascribe to the halting of the German offensive the attributes of a tactical victory. The enemy has so far gained much more than he has lost The Allies' strategic plans have suffered a serious setback, to say nothing of losses in armour, guns and aircraft and, above all, men. A ttart but only a start, is to reduce the enemy position.