ENEMY FORCES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25565, 19 June 1944, Page 5

ENEMY FORCES

ESTIMATED AT 300,000 MANY FOREIGN TROOPS USED RUGBY, June 16. Late reports on the strength ox the German forces in the Normandy battle area, writes a correspondent, indicate that the enemy has 300,000 men in this area, of which 200,000 are fighting troops. His armoured strength is estimated to be equivalent to four panzer divisions. To keep his units in the Wjest up to this strength the enemy has been forced to use as much as 25 per cent, of foreigners. Information gleaned from prisoners of war indicates that the greater number of foreign troops encountered by the Allies in France to date have been Russians. It was indicated that these troops came from “ scorched ” German-occupied areas in Russia, and were given a choice between service in the German Army or starvation. Formations of troops recruited from Poland, Rumania, Georgia, and Turkestan have also been met. The fighting qualities of these foreign elem:nts in the Nazi armies are described as ” extremely low.” A total of over 10,000 prisoners of war is now in England. Four German divisions have been either virtually destroyed or seriously impaired in fighting efficiency to date.