NAZIS ARE FAR FROM WEAK
SEELY, Lt. Comdr. C. S.
Nazis Are Far From Weak By LT. COMDR. C. S. SEELY RECENT PREDICTIONS that the war in Europe will end soon do not make sense, and most of them can hardly be based on anything more tangible than...
...The Nazis, it is true, are retreating in Russia, but from a purely military point of view this alone does not mean that Germany is reaching the end...
...C. S. SEELY RECENT PREDICTIONS that the war in Europe will end soon do not make sense, and most of them can hardly be based on anything more tangible than wishful thinking...
...Only in Russia do the Germans have serious difficulties...
...Quite the contrary...
...No doubt our bombing is hurting German morale, but it is not probable that the vital German war production machine can be destroyed by airpower...
...We may be trying to side-step any blame, however roundabout it may be, in this delicate matter...
...It is obvious that the entire west coast of Italy is now wide open to attack, but we and the* British remain comparatively inactive...
...The Situation In Italy Of course we seem able to bomb Germany at will, but I doubt that our bombing is as effective as most people generally believe...
...In fact it would seem good tactics on his part to retreat to about the La Spezia-Bologne mouth of the Po River line...
...Certainly if Hitler felt weak, he would get out of Southern Italy in short order...
...Great operations, and great losses of life, must yet be expected by the Anglo-American forces before Hitler's "European Fortress" can be invaded, and until it is invaded, unconditional surrender cannot be obtained from Germany...
...Such a step would relieve him of the necessity of defending some 500 miles of coast line — about 250 miles of which is now in grave danger—to say nothing of adding to our difficulties by tossing some 15,000,-000 starving, freezing, ragged Italians into our lap...
...When I was in Germany in 1936 many of her important munition factories were said to be deep underground, and I became convinced that a serious effort was being made to put all of the vital ones there...
...He can have little or no reason to make a stand south of Rome...
...TK& opinions and assertions expressed above arc the private ones of the writer and are not to be construed as official or reflecting the views of the Navy Department or the naval service at large...
...My guess is that for political reasons we and the British do not wish to force Hitler's hand as regards the Vatican...
...Curious Inaction Possibly there are political considerations involved in the Italian situation which have not been made public, that interfere with a determined attack on Italy at this time...
...The operations in Southern Italy do not support the view that the Nazis are weak...
...It should be noted that the Nazis seem well able to hold us at bay all along the line...
...Obviously if we make a serious attack to drive Hitler out of Rome he will be forced to make up his mind what to do about the Pope, the 31 Cardinals, and the vast wealth of the Vatican...
Vol. 7 • November 1943 • No. 48
