NOTES ON THE WAR NEWS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 6, 8 January 1942, Page 6

NOTES ON THE WAR NEWS

RED ARMY'S WORK

"PINCERS" IN CRIMEA

Russia continues to supply the best news of the war. A highly important new move, a landing by the Red army north of Sebastopol, is reported, creating a grave menace to which the enemy has had to give a prompt reply.

Just over a week ago, the Soviet forces made a surprise landing across the narrow entrance to the Sea of Azov, and quickly occupied Kerch and Theodosia'. This action was, taken alone, a serious setback to the German chances of reaching the Caucasus country by a short route supplementary to that overland from Rostov. But it has now taken on a new appearance. The Russians have landed another army at Eupatoria, on the west coast, about fifty miles north of Sebastopol. The Germans, taken by surprise, rushed to the defence, .and a fierce battle is reported to be in progress. Coupled with the advance from the Kerch peninsula in the east, the new attack;forms a "pincer movement," the type of largescale operation which >is continually cropping up in the Russian campaign. Possible Heavy Defeat.

The two drives, if they could meet quickly, would cut off the large German army which has for weeks been besieging Sebastopol, and it is obvious that the enemy will go to extremes to avoid such a disaster. ' It is less than 40 miles from Eupatoria to the main railway from Sebastopol to the Russian mainland, so that immediate and vigorous defence is required to keep the German army from being isolated. The southern part of the Crimea, all the way from Sebastopol to Theodosia, is a strip of high, mountainous country; the western extremity provides very strong positions for the outer defences of Sebastopol. But the rest of the peninsula is open, fairly level steppe country, and if the Russians once get loose in this in sufficient strength the German venture in the Crimea is likely to end in a great defeat. The Finnish Front. The other end of the Russian front has flared up again, in a big battle on. the Karelian Isthmus, the neck of land north of Leningrad, between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga. The statement that here the Russians have considerable forces at their disposal suggests that they have hitherto only been holding their ground, and that the Finnish forces may be in for a bad time. The general position on the front northward to the Arctic is not very clear, but one thing has been, proved recently—that the enemy' is not in contact with the Murmansk railway. Mr. Eden, on his recent visit to Russia, travelled safely by rail all the way from Murmansk to Moscow. On the rest of the Russian front, the general position maintains its healthy aspects. The Germans are still everywhere acting on the defensive. It is a fair assumption that, having failed to seize the great Russian cities as winter quarters -for' the bulk of their armies, they are withdrawing, to an indefinite distance, to find some comfort to the west. This can only be done behind a very strong. screen of defences, but this screen is everywhere yielding. It is unfortunate for the Germans that Hitler's new role as military, leader has not greatly increased the, fighting power of the Nazi army, or produced any strategical magic. Eastern Conflict. The news of the war with Japan remains gloomy. In the Philippines the Japanese offensive has been resumed. The task of the defenders is a forlorn one, but invaluable, for it is occupying the energies and using up the supplies of considerable Japanese forces, and subjects the Japanese navy to losses, such as those inflicted at Davao; these may, while the defence continues, reach a good total. The situation in the Malay Peninsula grows no better, and the British forces are still retreating. Meanwhile it is-in-dicated that a large strengthening, of the Allied navies in the region is in prospect. The Netherlands Minister of Economics, now visiting London, has stated that the Netherlands' air and naval forces have sunk two cruisers, two destroyers, nine transports, and four other ships. This is a very creditable bag of Japanese war tonnage, and • the Netherlands air force, with 2000 first-line machines, is a factor which will play no small part in this difficult war area.