THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1941 ON THE RUSSIAN FRONT

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24133, 27 November 1941, Page 8

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1941 ON THE RUSSIAN FRONT

Hitler's new bid for Moscow is being held, according to some Soviet accounts, and, according to others, continues to be extremely dangerous. No light is shed by enemy communiques, which latterly have either preserved silence concerning the Moscow front or contented themselves with claims of a steady advance in the centre. Whatever the real situation may be, it can at least bo concluded that so far the Germans have won no decisive success in this their third drive on Moscow. It looks as if Russian tenacity would once again stop the enemy short of his goal. In his opening drive Bock had the advantage of surprise and full preparedness, and covered 400 miles of the road to Moscow in a few weeks. Then he was held for over two months around Smolensk by Marshal Timoshenko in one continuous and bloody battle. Starting on October 2, Bock made his second attempt, but, after covering another 150 miles, lost his momentum and bogged down again, still 60 to 100 miles short of the capital. Now he is trying for a third time, and results—or the lack of conspicuous results —suggest that the law of diminishing returns operates in the military as well as the economic sphere. Each succeeding drive has accomplished less than its predecessor. The miracle in all this has been the maintenance of Russian morale. Surely few armies could have endured so much and still be capable of resistance, and —more than resistance —of fighting back. Consider the case of a Red soldier stationed on the Polish frontier on June 22 and now among the defenders of Moscow. There must be thousands of such men. For five months he has been shot at, shelled, bombed and charged by tanks. Hustled out of Grodno, he took part in the stands at Minsk, Vitebsk, Orsha, Smolensk, Vyazma and Mojaisk, and in a score of minor actions. With his battalion, he has fallen back most of 600 miles, marching through heat and dust, slogging against rain and mud, suffering hardships and the loss of comrades. In all those long days and weeks and months, except for the rally around Smolensk, he fought losing battles. But he fought, and is still fighting. What can be said worthy of the Red soldier's marathon? In simple words M. Stalin has paid tribute to the faith and devotion of his men in face of the enemy's inexorable offensive. "Our army is performing miracles of heroism, but the enemy does not stop. ... We have filled rivers with the enemy's blood, but he still comes on. . . . No other country could have suffered the losses borne by Russia." That is probably true. At any rate it is certain that Russian sacrifice saved the Allies in the last war, the sacrifice of 1,700,000 dead, 4,950,000 wounded and 2,500,000 taken prisoner. It is well to remember that and to reflect that Russian sacrifice now may be our salvation, through the exhausting toll taken of the enemy.

Even the cold-hearted Hitler had to admit himself surprised at Soviet staunchness. "We had no idea of the enemy's gigantic preparations," he recently complained. "Russia had concentrated a power which was unknown to anybody, and there are still many who do not believe it." Bitter experience has forced Hitler to join the believers. For all that, as M. Stalin notes sombrely, "the enemy does not stop—he still comes on." Many there were who argued that the Russian winter would enforce a halt, but events have so far refuted them. The fact is that winter may help the aggressor in some ways w r hile it hinders in others. It freezes the ground hard and allows tanks to operate across the boundless marshes and tundra of Central and North Russia. It bridges rivers and arms of the sea with ice for the attacker, and closes waterways to the defender's transport and supply lines. On the other hand, winter lays a cold hand on motor fuel and engines, freezes I water-cooling systems, reduces air activity by snowing and icing up the aerodromes, and congeals the blood and fighting spirit of troops in the field. "Pros" and "cons" c<>n be multiplied, but the determining factor telling against the "blitzkrieg" in winter is the short day and long night. Offensives started at dawn cannot be developed with equal success when the curtain of dark descends after five or six hours. The fighting day is too short. Winter should therefore provide the Red Armies with a comparative pause for recovery and reinforcement, and give Britain and America time to make and deliver the tanks, aeroplanes and motors that M. Stalin admits he urgently needs.