The Timaru Herald. SATURDAY, JANUARY 27, 1945. Vital Days

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVII, Issue 23111, 27 January 1945, Page 4

The Timaru Herald. SATURDAY, JANUARY 27, 1945. Vital Days

JT is evident from reports coming out of Germany that the Reich leaders now understand that a threat to Berlin exists. If it should be possible for the Russians to win the race to the capital, they will have gained a tremendous moral victory, but the capture of Berlin itself would not necessarily mean the end of the war, although it would demonstrate to the German people with terrible clarity the futility of continuing the struggle. It is clear that Berlin is the objective of the Russians because they know that the fighting integrity of Germany would be destroyed by this blow.

After a fortnight in which they have been hopelessly routed by the three main drives of the Red Army, the Germans are making an attempt to hold the R ussian advance at Breslau, and west of Bromberg and east of Posen. These key points are the bastions of an improvised defence line for Berlin and if they should be overthrown there seems to be no limit to the advance the Russians will be able to make.

In planning its final offensive against Germany the Russian High Command appeared to have three choices for the drive into the heart of the Reich. It could have come down through East Prussia and taken the shortest route to Berlin; or it could have driven up through Austria into southern Germany, or it could go through the South Polish “front door.” The Germans, of course, were not allowed to know in which area the maximum Russian pressure was to be exerted. Therefore, they had to prepare what defences they could to cover each' threatened point. It would have required the full strength of the German Army to make an adequate defence of this long front, but having commitments both in the west and in Italy, the German High Command had to make the best dispositions it could against an enemy who had become vastly superior in manpower and material. The main Russian drive, as recent

events have shown, has come through southern Poland, but north 'AMd south of the main thrust are powerful movements which in other circumstances would cause the utmost anxiety to the enemy. It would seem now that Berlin will be lost, or temporarily saved, in the battles which will now be decided in the neighbourhood of Breslau, Posen and Bromberg. It is possible that stiffening German resistance may hold the Russian advance for a time, but if the defence fails, as it might, the heart of Germany will be struck much sooner than could have been anticipated a few weeks ago. The German Army,

with improvised defences established further west than had been planned, is now fighting decisive battles for the Reich.