BOCK TO SUCCEED REICHENAU

Southland Times, Issue 24649, 22 January 1942, Page 5

BOCK TO SUCCEED REICHENAU

(Rec. 5.30 p.m.) BASLE, January 20. The National Zeitung’s Berlin correspondent reports that General von Bock is succeeding the late Field-Mar-shal von Reichenau as commander on the Southern Front.

According to the Berlin correspondent of Swedish newspapers after the announcements of the death of FieldMarshal von Reichenau and the operation on Field-Marshal von Brauchitsch a new line of propaganda has appeared for the benefit of the Germans. It is now stated that all changes in the German command have been due to genuine illness and not to differences of opinion. Announcements of the sickness of still more generals may be expected as the higher officers have to share with their troops all the hardships of the Russian campaign which advancing age naturally makes them less able to resist. The Berlin authorities stated that the sufferings and hardships on the Eastern Front have caused illness among many commanders, one of whom had pneumonia, but has now returned to service, while another is suffering from the same heart trouble as FieldMarshal von Brauchitsch.