COMING DECISIVE BATTLE

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 202, 24 May 1944, Page 7

COMING DECISIVE BATTLE

United Nations’ Hard-won Experience

WAR’S LESSONS LEARNT

“The United Nations are on the edge of tfie war’s decisive phase,” says MajorGeneral Feodorov. At this moment it is timely to consider whether we have learned tlie lessons that nearly five years of war have presented. What are our chances? Are we in a fit condition to finish off the beast in its own country ? The lessons of the present war have all been bought at the hard school ot experience. Blood, sweat and tears have certainly gone into the task. , Indeed, when one looks back at 1939 it is astounding that we survived the ghastly prelude. The lesson of 1939-40 was the unpleasant discovery that we bad entered Great War II equipped to win Great War I. Our equipment was out of date., Modern war demanded mechanized troops, mechanized guns, more aeroplanes; in fact more of everything. Ihose lessons were learned and implemented m a manner which made possible 1944. It is undeniable that the lesson was learned well, without recrimination or time wasted on those who had failed to win the peace. We are now on the edge of the war’s decisive phase better equipped than were the Germans in 1940 or at any other period. Moreover, we have the armies. No more need we send a boy to do a man’s job. The factories have done their task. There is more of everything required for winning wars. In the air the Germans now take a second place. That lesson has been well learned. Farsighted men tried to teach us the lesson in peacetime, but nobody listened. If we can safely say in 1944 that we have the equipment, what about the armies? Have the generals learned their lessons? This has indeed been a war when tlie shortcomings of generals have emphasized that troops with bud generals are like a tiger without a head. There have been too many bad generals. Most of them have been liquidated in one way or another as a result of the desert and other campaigns. It is safe to say that today there are no “duds” in command Or active operations. If' the troops, though willing, were not completely trained for modern war in 1940, we can say that the pendulum has swung far on the other side. War ot Training. The knowledge required of a trained soldier today is beyond what was even contemplated in 1939 by quite far-sighted experts. Untrained armies were always a danger to themselves, That is even more true today. Moreover, hasty improvizntion is impossible today. A pitchfork and a jack-knife have got the British Empire out of many a tight corner in the past, but it requires troops trained' in mortars, radio-location, Bofors, rocket guns, artillery, commando work, and anti-tank technique to hold their own today. Judging by the operations ip Italy the training has been proved by deeds. The armies are well trained for modern war. , . „ , The Italian front is not a fair parallel to normal Continental warfare. It is more exacting if anything. Recent events have shown that the Allies can mount successful offensives in Italy under conditions ideal for enemy defence. The Germans have given ground under conditions entirely in their favour. We have held beach-heads in defiance of their crack divisions. It augurs well for further operations elsewhere. The Russian operations all through the winter proved that well-trained troops in sufficient numbers, properly equipped aiid properly supplied, can force a series of defeats upon German armies. Sebastopol proved that given the correct conditions German armies could be demoralized and routed. Allied troops have been toughened to a degree Which makes our armies of appear soft in comparison. Perhaps our main weakness, however, is that a majority of the troops, apart from their leaders, which will be involved, have not received a prior baptism of lire. Many of the German troops, in contrast, navy been through the hell of Russia. It is U moot point whether this should be considered a satisfactory prelude to a neii which will probably be as bad if not worse. —E.A.A.