THE BEGINNING OF THE END
SEELY, Lt. Comdr. C. S.
The Beginning Of The End By LT. COMDR. C. S. SEELY HITLER obviously is now facing the gravest danger, if not actual catastrophe, on his Eastern front. He delayed much too long his retreat from the...
...That is, and must remain, our immediate objective...
...We must realize that the Nazis, ia spite of troubles at home and on the Eastern front, are still tough on the Western front...
...However, we must not become too optimistic as the Russian supply lines, because of the recent 300-mile advance, are again becoming long...
...We have overcome great obstacles in Normandy, and since we have been able to push the Nazis back a considerable distance, we are now justified in assuming that our bridgehead is firmly established, that Hitlsr cannot dislodge us...
...that they think we "missed our chance" to take Havre, to "break through" to Paris, Cologne, Berlin, etc., etc...
...Thus we have accomplished as much as we ever had any right to expect in only two months action in France...
...And it is clear that we have not yet seriously threatened Hitler's main defenses in the West...
...And no matter what can be said about our Normandy operations, it must be conceded that they have held in the West Nazi soldiers who otherwise could have been sent to bolster up Hitler's tottering defenses in the East...
...But events are now moving fast, and it is not beyond the bounds of possibility that another week or so may witness the beginning of the end of Hitlerism...
...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 Nan/ Department or the naval service at large...
...I make this statement in spite of the fact that many Americans seem to think that our Second Front is not developing as rapidly as it should...
...Also Hitler certainly will make an "all out" attempt to hold his Konigsberg-Warsaw-Lwow-Black Sea line...
...He must do this at all cost for at least a few weeks so he can reorganize his forces...
...In any case it is my opinion that our invasion of Normandy and the present Russian drive have changed the war picture so enormously in our favor that they have shortened the war at least a year—and have saved millions of lives...
...He has no time for salvage of materials, or even extensive demolition work...
...Obviously too many of us expect our military to do the impossible...
...But the fact still remains that before we can do anything else we must land a great force in France...
...It is true, of course, that -on the map our position in Normandy is not impressive...
...Time may have to be taken out to establish new advanced bases, as was the case a few months ago...
...Any diversion from this aim will invite disaster...
...This defense line, of course, has already been broken, but not badly enough to justify a prediction of imminent Nazi collapse...
...that we have taken very little territory...
...He delayed much too long his retreat from the Baltic States, arid now can save only a very small part of his forces there...
...He must hurry out if he is to save anything at all...
...His alternative is utter defeat...
Vol. 8 • August 1944 • No. 32
