NEW PHASE OF BATTLE

Waikato Times, Volume 132, Issue 21982, 10 March 1943, Page 3

NEW PHASE OF BATTLE

THAW FAVOURS GERMANS (Official Wireless) (Received March 10, noon) RUGBY, March 9 The phase of operations in Russia seems to have come to an end with the slowing and narrowing of the Russian progress and the German riposte in the south. The Germans themselves apparently feel that they have averted the danger of another large encirclement on the Stalingrad scale, but do not yet foresee the end of the Russian offensives. There is still no news from Allied sources of the situation in the Kharkov area, but the Germans apparently have advanced towards the city from south and west. The Times states that in the south the characteristics of the Russian winter have disappeared without much prospect of return, and the season being so abnormal, the winter may also prove shorter than usual in the centre and north. The general effect of the thaw has been to deprive the Russians of the advantage inherent in their superiority in winter warfare and handicap them because their communications across the devastated country must be weaker than those of the Germans. But the past few months proved that the Russians’ offensive power is far more formidable than it was a year ago, alike as regards numbers, armament and tactics. It is also revealed that none of the fortresses by which the Germans kept their hold upon a vast extent of territory without a great expenditure of strength, can any longer be considered immune from successful assault. So far every one which has been resolutely attacked has fallen. The Times says the consequence is that wherever the Germans find themselves on the defensive they must keep their reserves widely distributed. At the moment thc-v have reinforced the whole front from the far north to the Sea of Azov, and the costly gyrations of Rommel in Tunisia can only be interpreted as a means of postponing the time when they will be compelled to draw upon their Russian reserves for other purposes.