ANOTHER WINTER

Grey River Argus, 27 September 1944, Page 2

ANOTHER WINTER

' WAR IN EUROPE Russian Estimate of German Strength (Rec. 9.5). LONDON, Sept. 26. "The Allies should prepare tor another winter campaign against Germany”, says Mr Alarlc Jacob, the London Daily' Express Moscow correspondent. "Another winter, campaign is anticipated by authoritative writers in Moscow,” he says. “There is no easy: optimism about any early end of the war in Moscow, in spite of the latest Red Army triumphs in the Baltic States and Balkan States. “The Germans are confident of being able- to hold out for som e time. If they were riot confident, would they keep ten divisions in Italy and five divisions in Norway when the Allies are attacking Germany from the east and the west? “The Allied communications are now very long, while those of the Germans are short. The Germans’ aircraft • and their anti-aircraft defences and their artillery can now bo massed into a smaller area to protect their vital points. Germany no longer has 300 up'-to-strength divisions, but her army still is a very large one. and it has the incentive of fighting for its home treritory, and also the advantage of knowing the terrain. The Allies in France and Belgium, and the Red Army got an enormous benefit from patriot forces. In Russia', patriots were linked by. a’.r with the Red Army, so that the Soviet Command usually knew what was the enemy’s battle formation precisely, and all his weaknesses. The Red Army still has this advantage in Poland; but, in Germany itself, there are no patriots to help the Allies, and the intelligence work will become harder.

“The opportunity for spectacular advances, such as the Russian drive through the Balkans, is now ending. “The delay' in the Russian entering of East Prussia is because East Prussia is packed with Germans. Capture of Konisgsberg and of Cologne will be a different proposition from the reaching of Paris and Bucharest, or even Budapest.”