PRIPET MARSHES

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24793, 17 January 1944, Page 4

PRIPET MARSHES

INVASION BAEEIER BACKWARD CONDITIONS The 300-miles expanse of marshland known as the Pripet Marshes which the Russian armies have now entered at Sarny, has always been a natural barrier against the invasion of Russia. The area was purposely left in an extremely backward condition of trackless wastes and treacherous swamps during the Tsarist regime, the better to fulfil its tactical purpose. Divided by the Polish-Russian frontier which was .in existence prior to the Russian invasion of Poland in 1939, the Pripet Marshes have apparently progressed little toward becoming a modern habitable region since the last war, in spite of Polish attempts to develop their portion into an agricultural area. Development, undertaken by Poland in 1931, was held up to a considerable extent by Russia's refusal to consent to the general lowering; of the levels of the River Pripet and the other rivers flowing through the marshes. Primeval Bog and Forest Described by Mr. Churchill in a book on the Eastern Front of the last wains a region of primeval bog and forest, the marshes are served by roads, few and far between, which are little more than causeways. Villages rise up as separate islands and bottomless, impassable swamps. With rain, the few roads in existence become unserviceable, and a motor-car is of little use. Most travelling is done by water or on foot along paths or cart tracks. Sand dunes which rear up from the poat swamps are the only portions which are not water-logged or subject to flooding, which occurs generally about March and April. Low water is in September and October. That the marshland still is an effective barrier to invasion, even in these days of advanced methods of warfare, is indicated by the path of the German spearheads of 1941. The main drives then bv-passed tho Pripet Marshes and linked up to the east of them near Kiev. Course of Russian Drive The Russians, while entering the southern reaches of the marshes at Sarny, are only now approaching their eastern boundary at Mozir, and it will be interesting to note whother they will attempt a drive through the marshlands or follow the German example of by-passing them. A cabled report received yesterday stating that the Russians are advancing from Sarny toward Pinsk. the centre of life in what was once the Polish portion of the Pripet Marshes, indicates that they are entering the marshes at one point at least. In any event, if their other drives outflank the marshes, the German troops who will be cut off in the marsh area as a result, will have little hope of anything except surrender. A British authority describes the land of the Pripet Marshes as being mainly of peat and well suited to cultivation when drained. The life of the peasants is extremely backward, although some improvement has resulted from the Polish efforts. Within limits, too, the Poles were able to improve the agricultural resources of the area, but the greatest detriment to development- is the lack of communications and the flooding. Pinsk, which had a population of 32,000 in 1931, was the main distributing centre for the province's export of timber, meat, fish, geese, mushrooms and other minor foods. The region is inhabited by wolves, bears and deer.