Post-Mortem on the Ardennes

Americans have always been sure they are the very best people in the world and own all the very best things. Last week, in a long, angry post-mortem on Rundstedt's breakthrough, the New York Times' s military expert, Hanson Baldwin, gave a stiff jolt to this national pride.

For one thing (said Baldwin), the Ardennes battles demonstrated the superiority of the German tanks. The new Hunting Panther and Royal Tiger tanks "are better all-around tanks than anything the Allies now have in the field. . . . With their new 88-mm. guns, very heavy frontal armor and wide tracks, they have more armor, more hitting power and are better mud-goers. . . ."

Baldwin, who has made this general charge before, recognized that apologists have said that the U.S. prefers lighter, nimbler tanks. His answer: "But the Germans have demonstrated time and again the maneuverability of 45-to 72-ton tanks, and bridges and rivers have been no obstacle to them. . . . Other apologists have said that tactically we don't believe in fighting tanks with tanks. To which the only possible answer is an expletive."

Surprise for Americans. U.S. tanks armed with 75-mm. guns are too light to stop German armor, said Baldwin, "unless they get in close-range lucky side shots. Even the bazooka no longer holds its former terror for some of the German monsters." Heavier 76-mm. and 105-mm. guns are effective "but only at relatively close range." The German 88-mm. "is as good as or better" than the U.S. 90-mm. high-velocity piece (now mounted in the U.S. M36 tank destroyer).

"This condition is a well-known one along the fighting fronts. Americans at home, who take it for granted their sons are fighting with the best equipment in the world, are surprised at the German qualitative superiority." But not only with tanks and guns, said Baldwin, have the Germans beaten us on and to the battlefield. They have shown us the way with rockets, robot bombs, jet-propelled planes.

Time to Investigate. Baldwin thought he knew where the blame lay: with the War Department, hamstrung by "conservatism and traditionalism. . . . There is no lack of American inventive genius, no lack of engineering skill, no lack of devotion and energy [among designers and technicians], but there is a superfluity of red tape [among brass hats]; there is overorganization and there is lack of clear, directive vision [with the War Department]."

Baldwin thought it high time Congress began to find out why all this should be. "For only by getting the facts ... no matter how punishing to our conceit--can we rid ourselves of the national habit of boastful self-deceit."

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.