THE NAZI PUSH

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVI, Issue 23083, 23 December 1944, Page 5

THE NAZI PUSH

WHAT FAILURE WILL MEAN American Opinion By Telegraph—N.Z. Press Assn.—-Copyright (8.30 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Dec. 21. Commenting on the German offensive on the Western Front at his Press conference to-day, Mr H. L. Stimson, Secretary of War, said the Nazis had not much to lose in risking an offensive which might gain a few months for them before they must account for the misery they had inflicted upon the world. “If the great German thrust fails,” he added, “the war will be shortened.” Mr Stimson said it was significant that in spite of the losses the Nazis had suffered in recent land and air attacks they were able to build up on the West Wall a substantial force for such a huge offensive. They chose a sector which had been loosely held by both sides. It was terrain not offering the Allies much Incentive for exploitation. Interpreting the offensive as an allout effort to halt our advance into the Cologne Plain and Saar Basin, Mr Stimson said, “I have the utmost confidence in General Eisenhower’s wisdom, energy, aggressive fighting and his leaders.”

Responding to a question, Mr Stimson explained that he based his opinion that the war would be shortened on what happened in the first Great War. “I was there when they drove almost to the Channel, Armentieres and the Marne. I remember how we felt as if they would never stop. Then I remember how suddenly we bit into the German salient and it shrivelled like a toy balloon.” Mr Stimson said the German command chose to gamble rather than to wait the Inevitable end of a slow defensive. “Our armies,” he said, “are being steadily reinforced. The movement of supporting supplies has been greatly enlarged and improved, whereas Germany, with the winter upon her, is being subjected steadily to an increasing aerial attack which is assuming vast proportions. Moreover the German High Command must also be prepared for a Russian winter offensive wherever it may strike.” The note of reserve on the German counter-attack in Belgium Is still maintained in view of the only partial lifting of the ban on news imposed by both the Americans and Germans, states the special correspondent of the New Zealand Press Association in London.

Early Halt Not Likely The military correspondent of “The Times” expresses the opinion that the offensive is unlikely to be quickly stopped and that it may do a lot of damage before it is stopped. He continues: “This is not surprising, for the enemy has concentrated a comparatively small but compact wellarmed reserve. It may be taken for granted that it consists mainly of S.S. troops, that it is heavily armed, including the new Super Tiger and Panther tanks, with a strong force of assault guns. The enemy has wisely banked upon quality rather than quantity. Quality, together with the relatively high level of invulnerability of his tanks, is the factor upon which he counts to make up for any lack there may be as regards quantity, and one feature of quality is mobility. The Germans have thrown this force into what must be supposed to be a lightly held sector and they have been able to reach open country. This must necessitate various moves on the Allied side and it may be some time before they take effect.” The correspondent adds that the German force is far better armed than the troops who made the break through in the Ardennes in 1940, but even the best panzer and panzer grenadier divisions of to-day are by no means equal in human quality to those of 1940, and they are facing troops which are better armed than were the Allies in 1940. Situation Not Out of Hand The military correspondent of. the “Manchester Guardian,” writing from Allied Headquarters in Paris, states that, though the offensive has gained considerable ground, it may gain more. There has been no crumbling of the Allied defences and the situation has not been allowed to get out of hand. While there is yet no indication that the peak of the German offensive has been reached or that the attack has been generally halted, it is already evident that In some sectors the Allied counter-measures are beginning to show effect. The meagre information so far released does not indicate the strength in which the German gains have been secured—indeed, the very lack of information suggests that the situation can still be more accurately described as fluid. Thick fog over most of the battle area has limited air activity, which is a greater disadvantage, to the Allies by reason of the far greater air effect the Allies can produce. The correspondent of the “Daily Mail,” Alexander Clifford, writing from the Western Front, states: “Speaking from the point of view of the average well-informed soldier, this German effort really has been a surprise.” Clifford adds: “We did know three weeks ago that the enemy had been swiftly creating new utility divisions. We knew that he had new strong panzer formations and was waiting for an opportunity to use them, but few people expected anything like this. It means handing some bouquets to the Germans, but we should not balk at that. “May Be Last Battle of All”

"The fact of the counter-offensive has set the air aquiver with possibilities—that we might lose a lot and that this might be the last battle of all. The latter possibility I one that emerges most strongly from this new situation. After three days you can diagnose von Rundstedt’s effort as so supreme that it is almost certain not to be repeated. If we win this it may not mean the end of the war, but it might easily mean that we should never need to fight another battle.” Clifford emphasises the time factor and states that if von Rundstedt can make certain that he has prevented the Allies from launching a final offensive this winter supreme effort will be worth while, but since this is a gamble it is risky, and the advantage we gain from it is that the cards are now on the table. We know where the secret Panzer reserve is and what it is doing The Germans have precipitated a showdown.”

The Zurich correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” states that it is certain that internal political and security considerations were an important factor in influencing the German General Staff to launch the offensive