RUSSIAN LEADER

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 308, 31 December 1942, Page 3

RUSSIAN LEADER

GENIUS OF TIMOSHENKO DISCIPLINARIAN AND SOLDIER Marshal Timoshenko’s terrific series of counter-attacks around Smolensk, when he commanded the Red Armies on the central front in July, August, and September, 1941. cost the Wehrmacht its first serious losses of the war. That preliminary holocaust and its resulting delay for reorganisation took the momentum out of the Nazi advance and eventually saved Moscow. When, late in the summer of 1941, Timoshenko was shifted to the southwestern command he was able to redistribute and energise the remnants of Budenny’s forces—which had been retreating since the inception of hostilities— to retake Rostov from a German vanguard and slam the door to the Caucasus for another year. During the following winter he organised the counter-offensive in which the Russians seized the Kerch Peninsula o p the Crimea, thus bolstering the defensive position of Sebastopol and, in all likelihood, delaying the fall of that fortress, a necessary preliminary to any all-out Nazi invasion of the Caucasus area. This year, by the heroic and desperate defence at the Volga bastion of Stalingrad, Timoshenko once again shattered Hitler’s plans. Each week gained enabled the Russians to improve their defensive positions in the vital areas of the south-eastern Caucasus, Moscow, and Leningrad. Marshal Shaposhnikov, Soviet Chiei of Staff, and Premier Stalin, who took over from Timoshenko the position ol Defence Commissar, followed a passive scheme of warfare, awaiting the moment when the United Nations become strong enough to seize complete initiative. Continually, the Russians sought to withdraw, maintaining their j forces intact, until the time came to i str Re major counter-blows, slow up the Germans, force them into a static positional warfare, and eventually crush them. The man on the field who more than anyone else, appeared to successfully accomplish this is Timoshenko. Organising Ability. Although to the world at large Timoshenko is known best for his positive victories at Yelnia and Rostov, the greatest contribution to military history has been disciplinary and organisational. During his term as People’s Commissar lor Defence from May i, 1940, until Mr. Stalin assumed the post last summer, he accomplished a major internal reorganisation of the Red Army on the basis of weaknesses exposed in mobilisation and combat tests in Poland and Rumania, the Far East, and Finland. During that short y.eiiod he stiffened morale, which had undoubtedly been somewhat disturoeu Jack of sensational quick success against Finland, and introduced disciplinary measures so strict that they were without precedent in the Rea Air v. Among other things, the standard of saluting was immediately im ( roved. As far as possible this discip.mary s 1 cm, introduced in peace-time, has wen carried on into war. TimoJienko sought, to eliminate humiliating forms of punishment. In instituting his system the Marshal was ueipcd Dy tile fact that all Red Army mu.'cis come Horn the - ranks of the , /■. No military expert in Moscow. early in 1940. could have foreseen ine uiange Horn a still unwields workers’ and peasants’ army to the solid units which have fought so v aliantly. Marshal Timoshenko was born in 1895 at 1 urmanka, Bessarabia, near the mouth of the Danube, of Ihe very poorest peasant class. His formal education ceased before high school, and he went to work as a day labourer, iii 19L.J no was called up lor the Tsar’s arm; and trained as a machinegunner. He was then transferred to the cavalry, and when lighting near . , ... , .do a row wiln one of his oln■_ whom he heat. He was courtinartialled and imprisoned, tn lebru- . i n democi at i( iev olut mn m and ne •/. as sav( d 1 rom scuience which might well have been death. In the Civil Mars. i i a surprise attack he captured Ib.atov from the Vvmt.e A. my miring the civil wars, bagging 250 officers diiiin.! at. the city s leading restaurant. As he was taking over the white divisional headquarters the telephone ran,; and he answered- A White officer wa.s on the line. He said: "The railroad station is being threatened hv the Reds." Timoshenko replied: •Take it easy. Everything is in order. Dun t .send any trains away until tomuirow, when the situation is clariii>■." He then captured a large amount of rolling stock. P< -..-or,ally courageous, Marshal Timochenko holds all the highest Red Army decorations lor ability and personal bravery and several times has saves! desperate situations by his own leadersnip at the front. He has been wounded several times, but his magniiicent frame can absorb mum punishment. His education was taken . * a- Ine civil wars and he eventually completed the highest guauua-. and post-graduate courses of the military colleges as well as finishing at the special college for commanders and commissars created by the new Military Political Academy. He has mid all types ol command posts, had charge of various military districts, and served as Commissar for Defence. Ln 1933 he was abroad on a secret mission to study foreign armies.