MOUNTING CASUALTY LISTS AHEAD
SEELY, Lt. Comdr. C. S.
Mounting Casualty Lists Ahead By LT. COMDR. C. S. SEELY Lt. Comdr. Seely OUR losses in France as announced are much smaller than was to be expected in the Channel-crossing,...
...He will hold his Rotterdam-Calais-Havre-Paris-Belfort line at all, or at least nearly all, cost, and he certainly will hold it unless we hit very hard...
...In short, we probably shall not have to pay a high price for any gains in Southern France, but on the other hand these gains will not seriously hurt Hitler...
...Even with the maximum use of bombers, artillery, and tanks we cannot break through Hitler's critical defenses—into his "inner fortress"—unless we send in infantry to occupy and hold the blasted-out areas in those defenses...
...As long as Hitler keeps troops in Italy, he cannot be considered weak...
...Larger casualty lists are practically certain during the next few months...
...If we could, we probably would push up into the robot-launching area and end the flying bomb menace...
...In spite of all this, however, we have not yet threatened Hitler's critical defenses, and we probably will not be able to do so for weeks yet...
...Also the situation in Italy clearly indicates Nazi reserve strength...
...Apparently, we are now removing all threats to our bridgehead, augmenting our forces in France, and in general making ready to assault the Havre-Paris-Bel-fort line...
...Some chances must be taken...
...And on his home front Hitler apparently has killed enough of his generals to scare the rest into at least temporary blind obedience, if not loyalty...
...Apparently this is one of the inescapable necessities of the situation...
...But we are still not strong enough to attempt this...
...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...
...We cannot soon kill or otherwise put out of action many Nazis for they have numerous good escape routes, both into Northern France and into Italy...
...Seldom, if ever, before has a great military operation accomplished so much at so little cost, and no doubt history will record it as one of the most successful and far reaching military achievements of all time...
...Seely OUR losses in France as announced are much smaller than was to be expected in the Channel-crossing, bridgehead-establishing operation...
...Prospects of an early peace have faded somewhat as Nazi resistance has stiffened in the East...
...Until we hit this line, our losses should be light, as Hitler certainly will not make a serious stand south of it...
...He simply cannot afford to risk losing any considerable force defending an area that is not vital to the defense of Germany...
...We cannot do this unless we are willing to take risks...
...We must expect our casualty list to mount as we push into Northern France, for Hitler will not leave there until he absolutely must...
Vol. 8 • August 1944 • No. 34
