“PATCHING” POLICY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25566, 20 June 1944, Page 5

“PATCHING” POLICY

ROMMEL’S COUNTER-ATTACKS HARD PRESSED FOR RESERVES RUGBY, June 18. "The United States Secretary for War, Mr H. L. Stimson,” observes a commentator, “has summed up the past week’s fighting in two sentences, • There has been wonderful collaboration between the Allies and the various services. While the British bore the brunt of the German attack on the eastern flank of the Allied bridgehead, the American forces were left comparatively free to thrust out across Cherbourg Peninsula.’ "As the result of the British armoured thrust there has been hard pounding in the Tilly-Caen area. This must have been foreseen. The enemy was bound to react strongly to any threat against Caen, an important road and rail junction. What was perhaps unexpected was that Marshal Rommel would _ be so hard pressed for immediate tactical reserves that he would have to throw units into the battle as they arrived and thus carry out a policy of patching instead of mounting a co-ordinated counter-attack. He is still patching, although there are four German panzer divisions in the area. “ The British stroke on the right then evidently caught Marshal Rommel off his balance and his lack of poise was doubtless caused, first, by the speed and weight of our initial landing and the tremendous pounding which the Allied air forces had given his communications. He may recover and launch the counter-attack that we have been expecting every day for the past week. The longer ne delays the less his chance of breaking up our offensive power will be, and as it is he has already lost the chance of driving us into the sea.

“With armour clashing near Tilly, the Americans have forged right across Cherbourg Peninsula. If they can keep the Cherbourg lifelines cut the Germans in the peninsula may have ugly memories of another peninsula—that of Cap Bon.”