BRIEF WAR SURVEY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 135, 10 June 1942, Page 5

BRIEF WAR SURVEY

OUTLOOK ON VARIOUS FRONTS RUGBY. June 8. The fact that already nearly half a year has gone by and Germany has not yet launched her new full-scale offensive in Russia is felt in London to be significant. Her success on the Kerch Peninsula, it is felt, has been largely neutralised by her failure further north in the Kharkov area, and with Sebastopol still in Russian hands and the Soviet Black Sea Fleet uitact, a German advance towards the Caucasus across the Kerch Straits would prove to be highly dangerousThe offensive power and spirit of the Russian armies as diplayed in the battle near Kharkov are seen as the most important features of the recent fighting on the Eastern Front, In Libya the present campaign is by no means concluded; indeed, it is too early to hazard any prophecies as to the eventual outcome of the fighting, especially since desert warfare of this kind is apt to produce sudden and startling new developments, but the position as seen in London to date cannot be described as unsatisfactory. HOLDING OP THE JAPANESE. In the East, where ttie operations are now on the sea and in the air, the latest news is of the successful action by United States forces against units of the Japanese navy, and this follows only a few weeks after the successful United States action against the Japan ess naval units in the Coral Sea. The communiques from the South-west Pacific, Command Headquarters daily give details of successful attacks against airfields, shipping, and other objectives held by the Japanese. The defences of India have been considerably increased, and the news of the safe arrival in Indian waters of the largest, military convoy ever to leavp Britain is une of the factors which lead observers to express great confidence that the Japanese can be held and eventually attacked in this area. The events of th© past few days ji. Western Europe—the heavy R.A.F raids, the shooting of Heydrich, the commando reconnaissance raid—are signs of the mounting wave which will eventually engulf the Nazis. If, after many months in which the United Nations have suffered almost continuous grievous reverses, the posi tion is beginning to appear more satisfactory, it is iust now, observers point out, that the maximum effort on the part of the Allies is demanded.— 8.0. W.