INVASION estimates

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 May 1944, Page 5

INVASION estimates

ALLIES’ IMMENSE POWER thorough preparation LONDON, May 15. Swedish commentators estimate ihat the invasion Trom Britain will be made by about 100 divisions with a WndiiW armada worth £360,000,000, . mid af least 930.0. supporting aeronhnps They anticipate a camoaign on he Crete model, with huge air-borne ; forces striking inland .preceding the 1 C mllitaiY °* the Stock- • holm newspaper, “Svenska DagblaPt - sayS that there are 50 British . mid Dominion divisions now in the ' Prifish Isles, plus 40 to 50 American - divisions He believes the Allies, with ; the troops in North Africa, Italy, and elsewhere, have about 200 divisions, ' fhvin 0 ' them a two to one superiority over the opposing Axis forces. The naval correspondent ot “Tidvalues the invasion landing craft which will carry this army at fl 9 60 000,000, to which must be add‘h n transport fleet of passenger and merchant ships totalling 10,000,000 The same newspaper s aviation correspondent says that the front line strength of the Allied Tactical Air •cvUrkTotals 4800 aeroplanes, and that Strategic Air Force 4500 The militarv writer or Aftonbladet” who predicts that an air-borne invasion will be the first phase of the operation, says: - rhe Atlantic Mall is -<■ mii of dale as the Maginot Line.' reports of Allied invasion preparations reached Berlin, last ni°ht Berlin military and political circles were consequently very tense this; week-end. This message was sent from Berlin by a Swedish News Agency. The Germany News Agency said that while everything on the eastern front was poised lor new Soviet offensives invasion preparations in the west are reaching completion. It added that targets selected last week by the Allied Air Forces give some indication of the date when the battle for Western Europe will begin. A German War Ministry .spokesman has declared that the Allies are planning an enormous air-borne invasion. “We must be prepared for anything,” he said. The Official German News Agency s military commentator (von Hallensleben) said: “The Allied commanders began last month to put their Invasion plan into operation. The first phase, the air attacks on Europe, is meant to give the landing a flying The German High Command spokesman (General Dietmar) said the enemy was preceding his planned general attack by thorough preparation, which was being made above all by the long arm of his air force. “Perhaps he will continue and intensify this pre-invasion softening process,” said Dietmar. “This may be the reason for the delay in launching the invasion.” The German radio, in a broadcast as to an Allied invasion, said: When the battle starts the fighting will not be limited to the divisions on the Atlantic Wall or to the points under attack, but small waves will reach far beyond them. Germany will then be called upon to stand her greatest and more dangerous test. COMMAND ORGANISATION. HOW “SHAEF” WORKS (N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent) (Rec. 9.30) LONDON, May 15. Supreme Headquarters of the Allied Expeditionary Force is the name given to the organisation which General Eisenhower will direct in the coming invasion. It is known as “Shaef” (pronounced Shayff), and it has been described as “not British nor American but something between.” Shaef is a Combined Command patterned on that used- in Algiers, but now improved and expanded. With General Eisenhower at the top, are General Smith, his chief of staff, and Sir A. Tedder, deputy commander-in-chief. They are stated to be “everything rolled into one—-soldier, sailor, airman, politician,” and work together in their headquarters. Directly under them are Montgomery who is leading the British Army, Bradley leading the Americans, Crerar leading the Canadians, and Air Marshal Leigh-Mallory, R.A.F., and Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser R.N., who have their own headquarters, but meet regularly in the joint operations room. The principle of Shaef is alternate British and Americans throughout, and whore there is a British commander his assistant is an American. Under supreme headquarters, the command is split into many different departments, including operations, supply, intelligence, personnel, engineers, civil affairs, psychological warfare, medical, signals and public relations, all of which are commanded by generals. Detailed attention has been given to communications and Shaef is able to communicate with every unit in the combined services involving intricate radio and telephone systems. It also has a fleet of car,s, a nine carriage train and squadron of aircraft, which is fitted up as offices, ..and sleeping quarters. There are also transport aircraft carrying jeep, which save high-ranking officers’ time in travel between airfields and outlying units. General Eisenhower’s headquarters is said to be a “nondescript building,” and the General’s room is about twenty feet square. It contains a large walnut desk, two chairs, couch, loudspeaker and radio-table. The Joint Operations room, however is built with special ventilation, lighting and telephone communications which can link up with Washington, or bombers on operation. It will be from this room that the signal will be given to start the invasion, and from which the battle will be directed.

The Supreme Commander of the German forces, who will oppose the Allies, is Rommel, and under him are Field Marshal von Runstedt, com-mander-in-chief of the German forces in France, General Sepp Dietrich of the Black Guard, who leads the SS troops manning the coastal defences along the Channel to the Bay of Biscay. General Kurt Student, who commands the German paratroops, General Richard Jungklaus, commander in Belgium, Air General Friedrich Christiansen, military governor of Holland. General von Falkenhorst, commander in Norway, General Herman von Hannecken, commander in Denmark, and also Field Marshal Pritz von Mainstein.