RUSSIAN COUNTER-STROKE

Evening Star, Issue 24296, 10 September 1942, Page 5

RUSSIAN COUNTER-STROKE

MAYBE DELIVERED IN NORTH-WEST LONDON, September 8. The Berlin radio’s war correspondent said: “The Germans had to change their plans when they realised that heavy fortifications barred the frontal attack. The change involved the shifting of thousands of motor vehicles, necessitating a prodigious expenditure of petrol.” . . The Russians are holding tho initiative in the north-west, where their activities during the past two days give ground for the hope that they plan a heavy stroke against von Bock’s flanks, in conjunction with renewed pressure from Eletskaya and the Khoper River areas in accordance with the strategy of reserving the heaviest counter-blow for the moment when the enemy’s effort is at its peak. ■ , - Novorossisk remains an enigma. Hie Stockholm correspondent of ‘Tho Times’ says the impression gained from Russian and German accounts is that the Axis holds the major part of the naval base and is steadily increasing the area under its control. The defenders are outnumbered by five to one, but are supported by Red Fleet bombardments. The Germans are apparently slowly progressing towards Grozny by means of infiltration. German tanks engaged two armoured trains in this area, but withdrew after losing 18 tanks. NAZIS* MAIN OBJECTIVE * DESTRUCTION OF RED ARMY LONDON, September 8. Lord Cranborne, m the House of Lords, said that though Field-Marshal Rommel’s forces had suffered serious reverses .and the morale of both our troops and leaders was excellent, it must be remembered that Malta and the Mediterranean were not the scene where the main struggle was being waged. The main struggle was Russia, for the main objective of the Germans clearly was to destroy and break np the Russian army. Unless they attained this their strategy could not be successful. So far they had failed to achieve this objective, and the Russian army was still resisting vigorously.