GERMAN RESERVES IMMOBILIZED

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 277, 19 August 1944, Page 8

GERMAN RESERVES IMMOBILIZED

Effect Of Allied Bombing (From Godfrey Blunden, Special Correspondent.) STOCKHOLM. August JO. Neutral observers inside Germany say that failure of the Germans to bring up strategic reserves is responsible for the collapse of the Nazi front in France. Large German reserve forces situated in the rear of the Atlantic Wall have been immobilized by the consistency and fierceness of Allied air attacks. When (he retreat began these forces became entangled with tlie front line troons because Allied air bombing and strafing had smashed the transport systems by which they should have been moved. Only in the Caen aretj did the Atlantic Wall garrisons receive anything like adequate support. It was impossible to move troons fast enough to match the speed of tlie American advance in Brittany and toward Paris. Neutral observers in Berlin say tlie Germans unofficially admit they can do little about, the Allied bombing nnd strafing. Tlie only opinion German olfieinls would express this week was that because there were now almost 1,000,04X1 Allied troops in France, Hie Germans did not expect any more Allied landings at present. The Nazi forecast: was that the Allies would use the ports gained in Brittany to tiring in troops and move them rapidly toward Paris. To counter this, the Germans are said to lie moving troops from tin’ Calais area, and from the south of France to tlie area between the River Seine and tlie River Loire. It is here that they expect the biggest battle of tlie war in France to be fought. On the home front the Germans nre still in'plenty- of bother. Intense mobilization continues. Newspapers nre being closed down, universities emptied, film production closed down, nil financial institutions. such as insurance companies, are being thinned out—all to get more people into factories. Those going into tlie factories ■will replace foreign workers —now 1 -1,000.000 in number—who are now a menace, not an asset, to German production. The nearer (lie Allies get to Germany the trolder the foreign, workers becomo.