When And Where Will Second Front Be?

Northern Advocate, 10 April 1943, Page 3

When And Where Will Second Front Be?

(Special 10 a.m.) LONDON, April 9

Sooner or later one topic of conversation which is bound to crop up in the conversation of thp aKn in the street today is “where will the Allies open a second front ?” Guesses range from Nprvvay, Holland, France, and Italy to the Balkans. It is a question which the Germans would very much like answered but nobody knows—nobody except the Al- # lies’ leaders, who have chosen the loc-* ality and, in all probability, the tentative date.

A' rough, sketchy but general strategy of war at present seen in London is something like this. Germany must put Russia out of the war or she is lost. She must strike against Russia quickly and with all the power at her disposal, meanwhile tursting Rommel and the U-boat campaing to hold off the Allies in the west as long as possible. Can Russia Be Knocked Out ? Can Germany knock out Russia ? It si believed that the Russians are stronger in defensive position this year than last year. They have better railway communication than they have had since the original German advance. Yet the Germans have been able to deny them possession of strong points for a general offensive—Smolensk-Grel-Kharkov. The Russians have behind their lines the "scorched earth" of recent battlegrounds. It is the opinion that there are obvious pointers where Germany may strike as there were last year. One suggestion is that Hitler may attack on each side of the Smolensk railway with the objective of destroying the Russian armies holding those sectors. It is declared that Germany cannot wait this year, as last year, until well into summer. She mut strike and soon. May Not Await Tunisia Every delay Rommel can gain in Tunisia is most valuable if thereby he holds off the Allies from invading Europe but the opinion is that it is not inevitable that the opening of a second front depends oh clearing Tunisia. In fact, it may become necessary to strike before Rommel is knocked out, for the most urgent need of the moment is regarded as hitting Germany to afford the greatest measure of aid to Russia.

The British anr American air offensive must be having a serious effect on Germany's war effort, but this is regarded as not enough and that a definite land blow must be launched this summer. And so discussion goes on: Where and when will it be?