THE WAR IN REVIEW
THE WAR IN REVIEW TWO CURRENTS of opinion — ranging from the super-optimistic to the extremely cautious—coursed through the reports on the European conflict this week, while the good news from the...
...The Japanese invasion of India, it was reported, had resulted in complete defeat with the bulk of their forces cut to pieces...
...To the south, Chinese, American, and British forces were inflicting heavy losses on the Japanese in the fighting in Burma and India...
...In a speech to the whole German people he warned that the Reich is in "grave danger" and that the Allies, "on their own testimony," wish "to destroy the German nation in its national substance...
...Attention was called to the fierce combat and extraordinary length of time required to take Caen and La Haye de Puit...
...Outstanding news was made by the visit of French leader Gen...
...In fighting that has been described as the costliest and bloodiest of the Pacific warfare thus far, American Marines and infantry troops completed conquest of the island in 25 days...
...President Roosevelt issued a statement that the question of de Gaulle's power in liberated France was not to be considered in their discussions, but there was widespread belief that the conversations had improved relations on the whole French question...
...The invasion forces were now picking up full steam in the drive toward Paris and at mid-week Caen, northern hinge of the Nazi line, had fallen to the invaders...
...The victory puts American land-based bombers within range of the Philippines and the Japanese homeland...
...The victory is reported to have removed "for some time to come" the enemy threat to take the entire rail line...
...On the political side, they pointed to what they took to be signs of desperation and disintegration among the German leaders...
...In an address to his people on the eve of the beginning of the eighth year of war, Chiang Kai-shek acknowledged that the military situation for China is grave, but he promised that "liberation is close at hand...
...The replacement of Field Marshal Karl von Runstedt by Marshal Guenther von Kluge as commander-in-chief of the western front was cited as another example of Nazi desperation, although some commentators believed that it was not primarily for military considerations that he was removed, but because of his antipathy toward the Nazi Party...
...Despite the encouraging reports of fresh victories scored by our troops as they drove ever nearer to the enemy's mainland, it was apparent that China, after seven years of war, could not hold out much longer without major reinforcements...
...A gigantic Soviet offensive all along the Russian front was expected momentarily...
...Those who viewed the European developments with more caution pointed out that high Allied spokesmen this week were freely, admitting that progress in the Normandy campaign had not come up to expectations...
...Goebbels Admits 'Grave Danger' On the Russian front the Red Army was smashing ahead toward Wilno, principal city of Lithuania...
...Charles de Gaulle to Washington, where he was received with most of the fanfare accorded visiting chiefs of state...
...Douglas MacArthur's forces had won a new victory in the conquest of Noem-foor Island off northwest New Guinea and 800 miles from the southern Philippines...
...The invasion represented a leap of 1,150 miles from the Marshall Islands...
...Admitting that the war in China is not going well, the President declared that he was greatly concerned over the seeming inability of the Chinese to stop the Japanese drive—a drive which, if successful, will cut off American-Chinese access to the eastern coast of the mainland...
...The predictions were based on a combination of military and political developments...
...Moreover, the Germans were showing unusual strength in Italy, where the American 5th and British 8th armies had been stopped in all but a few local sectors...
...In response to demand, Prime Minister Churchill reported to the House of Commons this week that the flying bombs had killed almost 3,000 people and injured another 8,000...
...Americans Take Saipan Additional hope was seen in the announcement that the hard-fighting Chinese had broken up the enemy threat to Hengyang, a stronghold on the Hankow-Canton railroad just south of Changsha which the Japanese captured several weeks ago...
...Most significant Allied victory in the Pacific theater, however, was the capture of Saipan...
...On the military side, they pointed to the progress of the Allied invasion forces, which, in a little more than a month's fighting, had carved out a substantial section of the French coast and had secured the valuable facilities of that country's third largest seaport...
...The contradictory notes sounded in the reports from Europe were puzzling...
...Propaganda Minister Goebbels had renewed his efforts to whip the German people into a frenzy of last-ditch resistance...
...Berlin had already reported a new offensive south of the Pripet Marshes...
...Continuing Japanese advances along the Hankow-Canton railroad brought the first public expression of alarm from President Roosevelt...
...Although he pointed out that the missile had only averaged one death per bomb he said "it would be a mistake to underrate the serious character of this particular form of attack...
...And on the eastern front, some commentators believed, the Germans were withdrawing to concentrate their forces along a shorter and stronger defense line...
...The collapse of resistance there adds another cluster of air bases for Allied use...
...They attributed this to the fanatical resistance put up by the Germans...
...It was the war in the Pacific that caused greatest concern among Allied leaders this week...
...Politically, there were few noteworthy developments in the Allied camp this week...
...Further to the southeast, Gen...
...Moscow admitted that it "was paying with the highest sanguinary losses for every meter of ground gained...
...THE WAR IN REVIEW TWO CURRENTS of opinion — ranging from the super-optimistic to the extremely cautious—coursed through the reports on the European conflict this week, while the good news from the Pacific that Saipan had at last fallen could not obscure the sobering fact that China, entering the eighth year of resistance, was in a more critical condition than at almost any time since the beginning of the war...
...Meanwhile, the Nazi terror weapon, the robot raider, was causing considerable damage in and around London and had seriously affected British morale...
...Some responsible American publications reviewing developments there, took an extremely sanguine attitude, predicting that the final knockout blow against Germany was imminent...
...He declared his belief that the war in Europe will be over soon and that there was "a good prospect of the early opening of a China-India land route for transporting a larger supply of war materials into China...
Vol. 8 • July 1944 • No. 29
