GERMAN WAR TECHNIQUE

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23088, 2 August 1940, Page 8

GERMAN WAR TECHNIQUE

Evolution of New Methods

“A TANK FOR A TANK”

(Published by Arrangement with "The Times,

A special correspondent writing for "The Times” discusses the new | methods used by the Germans in their break-through on the Westeik | Front. * i

The whirlwind offensive in the west, was delivered by a combination of three arms, the bombing aeroplane, the tank, and the parachute. They swept through and over the Allied defences. and by operating against communications and base units succeeded for a time in paralysing the organisation of the Allied Armies In those sectors which had been chosen for the attack, in, view Of these new methods, old ideas of defence in depth must be overhauled. It has been proved that a system of defences stretching back some five miles behind no-man’s-iand fails to Offer adequate protection against a determined onslaught pushed home without regard to loss. The long-range and mobile artillery provided .by the bombing Aeroplane can strike at an. objective far behind the old artillery area. Counter-battery work, in the form of anti-aircraft gunnery, .is necessarily cumbrous and loses much of its effectiveness in a time of swift movement, owing to the superior mobility of its target. It is difficult for fighters to counter the swift swoop of the single bomber. Their difficulties are. increased by the destructive bombardment of airfields, which is the price that has to be paid for losing temporarily equality in the air. ' It seems unlikely that any system of defence against bombers operating in the field can be made wholly effective.. The only effective counter-stroke consists in retaliation. If' German bombers can partially paralyse the defence, it Is evident that an equally strong Allied bomber force could do even more to dislocate the attack. During the German advance from the Meuse to the Somme the tank, supported by the bomber, has playea a brilliant role. The pitch to which its latent possibilities have been exploited must have surprised its most enthusiastic sponsors. Some time must elapse before it is possible to gam a clear picture of the methods Used to overcome the formidable obstacles put in its path. But a few suggestions, based on the experience of previous trials, may come near the mark. Anti-Xante Obstacles . , The most common type of anti-tatik obstacle, which stretches all the way along the French frontier from Montmedy to the North. Sea, is a deep ditch dug in zig-zag fashion. Its rear bank, facing the enemy, is- revetted, with stout woodeh stakes that todr any farther advance. Each traverse of the ditch is commanded at either end by an ahti-tank gun. the task of which is to disable any tank that may be held up on reaching the ditch. . , This type Of obstacle has been tried and found wanting. Provided that the enemy is prepared to squander his resources, it is clear that a tank put out of action by either of the tank guns effectively masks the passage of other tanks by interposing its bulk between the guo and it® targets. Once the fire of the anti-tank guns loses its .danger, the tahk can set about the problem of crossing the ditch. Some carry plank ’ which are set across the & hd |n able the tank to cross m safety. Others are accompanied by mobile mfantry patrols armed with pencil-shaped dynamite charges that out of the ground andlevelthesur face round them. , In case of th super-heavy tanks the Usual obstacle i

no obstacle at all. The monster pass* over them without difficulty, doing tremendous damage to the ditch on th* way. All these methods are expensive, Germany must have lost hundreds o? her armoured fighting vehicles at the first jump. But, once these initial losses are written off, the returns are rich. The tank moves out of the belt of territory adapted to repel it and ; sets about its destructive task. It carries large supplies of spare parts, and gets its petrol from roadside - pUmpj , or military depots by holding Up the guards and demanding service in gangster fashion. Tank columns havj been known to cover more thah SO miles of hostile territory In a single day. It is clear that the deltas in depth adopted by the Allied Artniej was much too shallow to meet the - new tank menace. The third surprise of the German advance has been the parachute. Any tendency to regard this weapon as a freak expedient of no mote than spectacular value must be discouraged. Although hundreds of parachutists have been rounded up in France, they have done great mischief in guiding bombing aeroplanes, supporting tank columns and in spreading unwarliki panic in back areas. The experience of Rotterdam, whert a number of large transport aeroplanes landed sufficient troops to hold the airfield far several days in the heart of enemy Country, should also be taken to heart. For to-day defence in depth must reach back far behind the.corpi reserve line and cover the vital centre* of the nation, the seat of its government, and the source# of its industrial power. Want of Material The war in the west has shown that for 'many years the German peopl* devoted its great powers of concentration to the study of warfare. It refused to be deterred by the partial paralysis of the offensive which occurred in the last war, and bent all. its ingenuity and powers of organisation to finding the key to the trench deadlock, A new tank technique was developed as well as a new use lor, the bombing aeroplane In co-operation with land forces. Deep .study Was paid W entirely new departures, such as parachute infantry, . , ~ The German method .Is wasteful since It consists in the deliberate sacrifice of large numbers of tanks, war-, planes, and trained men in a supreme effort to break the machine opposed to it, Such a technique can only be employed If large are avail-, able to fill in the gaps that must occur. So far. the Germans have feltno embarrassment in that respect. They have poured material into every breach of tie Allied Hhe, and have hurled . it against forces ill-equipped to receive . it They can afford to do so. Not until war material is pouring from Ah - ; lied factories in a far greater stream than we see to-day will Germany be forced to economise on the held oi question of supply ranks equ.aUp, in importance with that of officers and men. It is common knowledge that both in the air and «in la* Germany has Which must be reduced at all c °su. the best defence against an ae J.°Pk“ is another aeroplane; the best antitank weapon is ? n # he w?2g ‘ have more of both before it IS mo late. —a