NOTES ON THE WAR NEWS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 48, 26 February 1942, Page 8

NOTES ON THE WAR NEWS

RED ARMY'S BIG WIN

The heavy defeat of'the German 16th army*at Staraya Russa, south of Lake Ilmen, is the greatest single success of the Red Army in the present Soviet offensive. The results so far chronicled arc most impressive—l2,ooo Germans killed on the field and the capture of a vast quantity of Avar material of all kinds. It is uncertain whether many, or any, of the German army, said to have been encircled, escaped, but their commander, General yon Busch, refused to surrender, and it may be that the destruction of the rest of the army will follow. In any event, it is a great victory.

The strategic consequences may be even more important than the loss inflicted on Hitler's forces. Staraya Russa is the southern end of the German line through Novgorod, north of Lake Ilmen, and along the Volkhov River, running into Lake Ladoga, east of Schlusselburg, which barred the way of the Russian armies advancing from the east to the relief of Leningrad. If the break-through at Staraya Russa is complete, the whole position of the German forces still near Leningrad will be jeopardised, and .henhasty retreat may follow. It is here that the German resistance has so far been exceedingly tough in the face of the Russian hammer blows. Staraya Russa is only 50 miles east of the lateral railway, running due north and south, from Leningrad through Vitebsk down to the Dnieper, where the river turns south at Orsha. This is a most vital supply line for the whole of the German front. Like the Last War. The descriptions of the fighting in Russia that are now coming through make it clear that the Red Army in most localities is up against an organ- ! ised German defence line, with numerous blockhouses and- pill-boxes, solidly constructed, connecting important centres, like Novgorod, Velikie Luki, Rzhev, Vyazma, Orel, Kursk, and Kharkov. These fortified posts jave to be reduced methodically by artillery fire, with ultimate barrages . lo cover the advance of the infantry. There are not many references to tanks, and the picture is not unlike that of operations during the winter in the war of 1914-18. The German defence is in great depth and ih many instances the Russian cavalry and ski troops, with ? fringe of guerrilla troops, moving independently, have ranged far behind the German frontal centres, cutting communications and hampering supplies. This method of warfare, probably the only land possible in the Russian winter, does not and cannot yield spectacular results, such as in the German advance last summer followed the use of tanks on a large scale. But it puts an intolerable pressure and strain on the defence, to which there are references in Hitler's speeches and Berlin communiques. It .is tr.ue.tp. say that these tactics pursued with the present Vigour should in the next few weeks yield more tangible fruits in the fall of some, or all, of the major German' outposts. The Germans themselves say they cannot afford to yield another inch. In the Far East. The news from the Far East theatre of war is of stronger Japanese pressure in Burma, where our forces . are still outnumbered, and of heavy Japanese air attacks on Java which have proved costly to the assailant. Timor is also the field of battle in which Dutch and Australian troops are engaged with the invaders. A Japanese occupation of Timor would oe a direct threat to Northern Australia. Portuguese reinforcements for the defence of Portuguese Timor have arrived in the Dutch East Indies, but they may be too late to influence the battle, even if they can be landed at all in the teeth of Japanese sea and air power. The situation in Libys, apart from patrol and air activities, remains quiet, but Rommel is expected to attack when he is ready. It is nearly a year ago since he made his spectacular advance on Libya after the British Imperial forces had 'jeen weakened to furnish the ill-starred.ex-pedition to Greece. Mr. Churchill's implication is that the Middle East front was the source of supplies of men and material to Singapore, uot, it is to be hoped, with a similar Result this time. ,