Wairarapa Times-Age MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1941. RUSSIA’S CONFIDENT STAND.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 November 1941, Page 4

Wairarapa Times-Age MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1941. RUSSIA’S CONFIDENT STAND.

Russia’s war against the Axis invaders of her territory entering on its twenty-second week, the Moscow radio has broadcast a statement of immediate war objectives which will be received with all the more interest on account of the extreme reticence normally observed by the Soviet Government and Iligh Command. No nation makes more enterprising use of radio and other propaganda than Russia, but no nation gives away less information in its Avar communiques. Notably confident in tone, the statement of immediate objectives no doubt is intended to be a rallying call to the Russian fighting forces and to the nation behind them, a message of defiance to the enemy and one of encouragement to Russia’s allies. Tn brief the statement declares that Russia will maintain all that is of material importance on her present fighting fronts. It says that the enemy must be hurled back from the positions in which he is attempting to encircle Leningrad, that he must be worn down on the fronts before Moscow, and that the road to the Caucasus must be blocked. As a whole this programme may seem to be a fairly tall order, but confidence in the ability of the Russians to attain their declared objectives will be strengthened by what they have already done to stem the attacks of a numerically superior enemy, possessed of the strategic initiative and equipped with larger numbers of tanks and planes. Whether or not the Germans are in as serious difficulties in Russia, and their military leaders as much at odds, as some recent reports have declared, it is manifest that for several weeks past things have been going badly with the invaders on the greater part of the Russian front. There cannot be any doubt that Hitler’s Russian plans have miscarried to a very serious extent. The Germans imperatively need quick and decisive gains, but their only recent important progress has been in the Crimea. On the Leningrad front there has been little change of position for about a month past. Much the same is to be said of the northern and central sections of the Moscow front, and although the attack on Tula, at the southern end of the Moscow front, which the Germans opened at the end of October, held and may still hold dangerous possibilities, the enemy has failed to develop his thrust and appears to be held as firmly in the Tula sector as elsewhere. In the Donetz basin and on the approaches to Rostov, the Axis forces appear to have made no important progress in recent weeks, q This ruling state of affairs over virtually the whole Eastern front, with the exception of the Crimea, is the more impressive since winter thus far has not prevented the Germans launching heavy and powerful attacks, with a disregard of losses in men and material. The invasion has been to a great extent stemmed by the grimly resolute defence of the) Russian armies. Of late the Russians have been counter-attacking persistently and at many points with signal success. Now, according to the Moscow declaration, the hour is approaching when a great counter-offensive must be prepared. The outlook thus opened may well be regarded with despondency and alarm by the Germans and their subordinate allies. It has to be recognised, however, that the position of the Russian armies is still in some respects critical and not least on the -southern front. At Rostov, at the mouth of the Don, and in positions further north, they are defending by a somewhat narrow margin the principal communications between the Caucasus and the rest of Russia. Even should the line of the Don be forced, the enemy would be faced still by a task of enormous difficulty should he attempt to invade the Caucasus, but Russia would be weakened and handicapped seriously if her best communications with the Caucasus were cut. Tn the Crimea, which they have now penetrated deeply, though they are reported to be making no headway against the fortifications of, either Sebastopol or Kerch, the Germans may be supposed to have two immediate objects in view. One of these is to weaken the Russian command of the Black Sea by depriving the Soviet fleet of its principal base at Sebastopol. The other is to gain possession of airfields from which to make concentrated attacks on the Caucasian oilfields and their communications. •The airfields of the Southern Crimea, some of which presumably are already in enemy hands, are only 400 miles distant from the Black Sea port of Batum, the western sea gateway of the Caucasus. The German news agency has already spoken of attacks by the Luftwaffe on oil towns and. pipe-line terminals in Caucasia. Amongst other things it seems very probable that Germany, in her efforts to gain command of the Black Sea, may at any time impose maximum pressure on Turkey. As a whole the position at the southern end of the Russian front presents great undeveloped possibilities, but it is by no means to be taken for granted that the Germans in these regions are on their way to easy and important successes.