The source: Politischer Informationsdienst der NSDAP. Gaupropagandaleitung Sachsen, Folge 5, 29 December 1944.
Although developments of our Western Offensive are still secret for military reasons, it can be expected that the mantel of military secrecy will be lifted in the foreseeable future.
In General Eisenhower’s camp, our sudden offensive hit like a bomb. That is evident from the fact that Eisenhower was forced to implement immediate censorship. Doubtless they will claim a significant success because of our disciplined silence.
Today, however, it can be established that the attack plan was, to the last detail, the Führer’s work.
That refutes stupid rumors about the Führer. Today even the complainers and doubters understand what the Führer meant when he said in his message that he did not see his task today “to give speeches, but rather to prepare measures that are necessary for the final victorious end of this battle.”
The opening of our offensive proves to us at the same time that our armaments production and Luftwaffe are steadily increasing. The enemy was impressed by the sudden great strength of German fighters and by very strong tank forces. Each people’s comrade contributed to the success through the sacrifices he has had to make. For a National Socialist, no situation is hopeless.
The military correspondent of the Irish Independent discusses the background of the Allied winter offensive and writes: “The English and Americans also fear that the Germans could succeed early in the year in reestablishing equality in the air, for already new German aircraft — the so-called “jet fighters” — are appearing at the front. They are far superior even to the newest Allied fighters.”
Radio London announced on 4.11.44: “German fighters, which in recent weeks were held back even in the face of the strongest enemy air attacks, are now being used in central Germany. It was the greatest air battle of this war, and many jet aircraft participated on the German side.” The commander of a USA night fighter squadron reported at Eisenhower’s press conference on 7.11.44 that he and his squadron had encountered jet fighters even at night above Germany. He said: “The Germans are sending up jet fighters at night in ever-increasing numbers. They are really the fastest aircraft that I have ever seen.” The chief of the USA airforce, General Arnold, was quoted in the New York Herald Tribune of 4.11 that the Germans had already used rocket planes to attack Allied bomber formations over Germany. As far as he knew, the German Luftwaffe had more fighters than at any other time during the war.
The new tank was originally called the “Tiger II.” Its abilities were so great that Allied troops who faced its enormous strength gave it the name of the mightiest predator on earth, the “King Tiger.”
The penetrating power of its gun at 1000 meters is significantly greater. Above all, this tank can stand up to the Bolshevist T-34. Its effective fighting range is also significantly greater. Alongside other valuable improvements, its weaponry and armor have been strengthened such that it is very difficult to fight.
The English newspaper Daily Telegraph published an interesting report of a naval correspondent who said: “Some signs indicate that the Germans are planning a naval offensive with U-boats, PT boats, as well and mines and V-weapons. Their goal is to cause the greatest possible difficulties in Allied supplies on the Western Front.”
We can add to this enemy report that our new naval weapons will one day demonstrate this.
An enemy report shows the great significant and mission of our Atlantic fortresses. Humanité, the Bolshevist newspaper in Paris, recently made a strong attack against USA General Eisenhower. It writes that it is a shame that he has not succeeded in overcoming the German Atlantic Front. Here is a map of the German Atlantic Front.
Our Propaganda must constantly mention that even today — six months after the beginning of the invasion — our Atlantic fortresses continue to tie up matériel, war equipment, and fresh replacement troops. More than ever, we feel connected to the troops in the fortresses, who have the most difficult, but also most important, posts. The German fortresses stretch over 350 kilometers from Lorient in the northwest to Gironde in the south.
During the Christmas holidays we heard our Atlantic and English Channel fortresses over the radio. With unshakable confidence in victory, the Lorient fortress contributed 1 1/2 million RM for the Winter Relief campaign. The troops in the La Rochelle fortress provided us with particularly happy news when they announced a few days ago that they carried out a sudden attack and drove the enemy back along a front of six kilometers.
As the enemy himself reports, there are only two supply routes open to us: flights at night or submarines. At the western end of the English Channel, our troops still occupy the Channel Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, and Sark along the Norman Coast. As we know, our naval batteries have already sunk or damaged many British warships. Attempts by foreign parliamentarians to encourage our island forces to surrender have always been rejected. Even Minister Eden had to emphasize the battle-readiness of German soldiers on the Channel Islands when he was asked in the House of Commons why these English islands had not been “liberated.”
This heroic endurance by our fortress garrisons must be emphasized at every opportunity. Just as they know only the word “endurance,” so we want to keep a spiritual connection to them until one day they have fulfilled their mission.
“White” Maquis in Southern France
The unrestrained unleashing of Bolshevist terror in every country on the continent strengthens the views of nationalist parts of the affected population that only a German victory can save Europe from destruction by Bolshevism.
As Bolshevism lets is democratic mask fall, national resistance forces begin to develop within the individual countries. This tendency reveals itself recently in France. According to a report from Paris:
“Thousands of white maquisards, apparently supplied with bombs and other weapons by Nazi aircraft, are terrorizing Southern France. Twenty suspects were arrested in Manosque near Marseilles after an explosion at a munitions depot. Similar events are reported from Avignon. Activities by such Maquisards are also reported in Pertuis, St. Benoit du Sault in Upper Savoy, and Lourdes. According to reports, these white maquisards often conceal themselves very cleverly. Experts presume that they are supplied by the Germans by air, just as the Allies supplied the Underground during the German occupation.”
Russian Colonel Sverev spoke several days ago to Russian prisoners of war from the northern Norwegian theatre about the tasks of the Russian Army of Liberation. This colonel belonged to the Red Army for 25 years and was City Commandant of Kharkov when he was captured in 1943. He said:
“Thousands of Soviet Russian prisoners of war captured in recent battles in northern Norway have joined the movement of Colonel General Vlassov and the Russian Army of Liberation. These prisoners, some of whom have been prisoners for only a few weeks, report that disorganization prevails in the Soviet Union and the food situation is extraordinarily tight. Day by day more soldiers refuse to go to the front. People increasingly reject the antisocial Bolshevist system as well as the continuation of the war. The name Vlasslov and his movement are widely known in the USSR and he already has millions of supporters in Russia.”
In this regard, it is also interesting to know that the former City Commander of Leningrad has joined the Vlassov movement.
The fighting in Greece continues. The focus is in the vicinity of Athens. The British commander General Scobie has now counter-attacked the rebel Elas bands. The English are particularly eager for the Americans to remain neutral on the Greek question. As a result, Greek partisans in Athens see the Americans as being on their side.
A few days ago it became known that Churchill and his foreign minister made a surprise visit to Athens. Just a few days ago he described the rebel Elas bands as murderers, gangsters, thieves, and bandits. Now he is negotiating with these “murderers.” The clearest analysis of Churchill’s trip is in an Exchange dispatch:
“The prevailing opinion is that Churchchill, in the face of British opinion about his policies, sees himself forced to change the direction of the policies in Greece. Churchill, who arrived in Greece on Christmas Day, was taken in an armored car to a conference with members of Elas. Before entering the meeting room, both the British generals and the Elas representatives had to give up their weapons. The room was unheated. Everyone wore a thick coat, and five minutes after Churchill had begun his short speech the Elas delegates showed up late and he had to begin his speech again. Churchill’s speech was drastic. He demanded that Elas accept Scobie’s demands at any cost, and said that the British were in Greece only to fulfil their obligations and that they had no interest other than to see an acceptable government after a free election. Churchill dramatically pounded the table with his fist and said that the eyes of the world were on this table. After referring to English-Greek friendship, he called upon the Greek representatives once again to unite whatever the cost.”
From this report, it is clear how heavily the situation in Greece impinges on England’s domestic situation.
The socialist weekly magazine Tribune published an article by the famed English author Wells titled “Churchill Must Go.” He writes that Churchill’s worldview is a pitiful jumble of incoherent nonsense. His ignorance of contemporary social science is conspicuous. He should retire before the English forget the debt they owe him.
“We want him to go now before he discredits us further, for his own sake as well as ours, and if he takes all the royalties of the world with him so much the better for human hope. The matter is urgent.”
Even in the land of unlimited opportunity, armaments production has serious difficulties. So said the chairman of the American Armaments Commission, saying that about 90,000 workers were urgently needed in factories producing the most critical war material. There are tight spots in manufacturing aircraft, naval guns, wireless devices, rockets, and trucks. We further hear that thousands of tons of critical war material is stuck at a railway station in Pennsylvania. At train stations in Philadelphia important foodstuffs cannot be transported. There are, for example, 3500 unused freight cars at an important railway junction because no workers are available.
It can be seen from these enemy reports that even American war production has natural limits. The difficulties are above all due to workers flooding back into so-called peace-time production, since people fear unemployment will return after the war.
The events throw light for us on the mistrust of American workers, who today still wait in vain for Roosevelt’s social promises.
A superficial look the current front line in Italy can give the impression that the enemy has gradually occupied Italy. That is because it is a peninsula. In reality the Alpennes is cut in half by the current front line. The part of Italy under Mussolini’s leadership comprises around 140,000 of the 320,000 square kilometers of the Italian republic. There are about 22 million Italians on either side. The economic centers are in upper Italy. With regards to raw materials, lead, zinc, sulphur, salt and asphalt have been lost, while bauxite, hard coal, and small reserves of iron ore are found in upper Italy, Agriculture in upper Italy is the main source for the whole population.
Contrary to false reports, especially in the Swedish press, the German Wehrmacht, the German civilian offices, and the Norwegian authorities have cooperated effectively in evacuating 55,000 people over great distances from Finnmark and northern Tromsø. The evacuated area was made unusable. The difficulties were even greater as the famed National Route 50, the only highway in northern Norway, could be used only to a limited degree since at the same time the German army in Finland was withdrawing over the same route. The evacuation had to be largely by sea. 45,000 people passed through Tromsø alone. Even the last resident of the city was mobilized to help. Churches made their buildings available; all community and meeting rooms and all dwellings of the citizenry had to be used. The effective improvisation, calmness, and composure of the northern Norwegians made this enormous task much easier.
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