THE BATTLE FOR EUROPE
SEELY, Lt. Comdr. C. S.
The Battle For Europe By LT. COMDR. C. S. SEELY HITLER is now in serious trouble on his southeastern front. The Russian break-through there cannot be considered less than a Nazi disaster of the...
...The Russian supply lines are now so long that supply problems are tremendous, and increasing hourly...
...The Russians almost certainly will soon be forced to stop and consolidate their positions even though Hitler does not make a serious effort to halt them in the South...
...It was imperative that the shortest (with some small allowances for bending to take advantage of natural defense positions) line between the Black and Baltic seas be held at all costs...
...So far there is no evidence that this line is in any danger...
...Hitler, it should be noted, is not yet in trouble in the West...
...But the Russians, by their advance into Rumania, have now broken this line...
...Hitler must now rush in all reserves necessary to stop as soon as possible the Russians' southern advance...
...This will give the Nazis a breathing spell, unless they are attacked in the West...
...And it will not be enough merely to stop the Russians...
...The Russian break-through there cannot be considered less than a Nazi disaster of the first magnitude...
...Hitler must also soon push them out of Rumania, or the world—and worst still for him his satellites —will have positive and unmistakable evidence of serious Nazi weakness...
...It is no longer reasonable to contend that the line is only bent, or that the Nazis are retreating simply to shorten their supply lines...
...Before Hitler can be considered in danger in the West, the Channel must be crossed in great force, or his Havre-Paris-Belfort-Trieste-Belgrade-Sofia-Varga (on Black Sea) line must be broken...
...The opinions and assertions expressed above are 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...
...However, we must not become over-optimistic as to an early ending of the war, due to the Russian advance...
...This in spite of the heroic exertions of our forces on the Italian front...
...This must be done even though he has to shift to the southeastern front forces now guarding the Channel, for he will soon lose the war if the Russian advance continues at anything like the speed it has maintained during the last nine months...
...The Nazis are retreating because they have no alternative...
Vol. 8 • April 1944 • No. 17
