GERMANS MASSING ON SMOLENSK FRONT

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 122, 26 May 1942, Page 5

GERMANS MASSING ON SMOLENSK FRONT

REDS' AIR STRENGTH

Enemy Efforts To Break Through To Caucasus

United Press Association.—Copyright. Rec. 1 p.m. LONDON, May 25

There are indications, says a message from Moscow, that Hitler is about to open two new ofTensivcs— on the Smolensk front and against the Caucasus. With the evacuation of Kerch by the Russians it is believed that the Germans are likely to

try to strike across the narrow strait to the Caucasus. Also, the Russian High Command spokesman has broadcast a warning that the Germans are concentrating enormous numbers of tanks and guns on the Smolensk front. The Germans are sain already to have launched attacks in the Smolensk area, but this is not confirmed

by the Russians. The Soviet newspaper Red Star says the Germans are massing huge forces of men and material on the central front, presumably in the neighbourhood of Smolensk, and are also hastilv building fortifications. This, savs the paper, is regarded as an indication that the enemy fears another big Russian drive in this region. Continuous Russian progress on the Kharkov front has forced the Germans to change their tactics once more. After the enormous loss inflicted on their panzer forces they tried using small tank units instead of mass formations. This failed, and now they have gone back to attacks in mass again. Reuter's Moscow correspondent says this has been partially successful in only one sector, but Marshal Timoshenko has so many anti-tank weapons that he can disable all but the largest panzer formations. The Soviet military newspaper Red Star claims that the Soviet Air Force is now wresting the initiative from the Germans and is firmly holding it because of tho greater skill of the Soviet pilots and their better aircraft. A correspondent in Moscow says American and British fighter planes are being increasingly used in the defence of Moscow. Soviet pilots record their admiration of these machines. The Intensity of the fighting in the Kharkov area is indicated by the admission of a German prisoner, who said that his unit, in three days, lost at least 50 per cent of its strength. Lidded Hart's Warning. Captain Liddell Hart, the noted military commentator, gives a warning against exaggerated optimism, pointing out that the Soviet communique has not claimed major successes. He suggests as explanations of what is happening on the Kharkov front:—Firstly, that the Russians may be feeling their way and are only driving hard where the going is good; secondly, that Marshal Timoshenko's offensive may have been, a big effort which fell short of its objective and is now meeting with a definite repulse. Captain Hart accepts the second explanation, but deduces that even if the Red Army has been halted it would have entailed the lavish use of German reserves and the upsetting of the enemy's offensive plans. On the other hand, the military correspondent of the Daily Express says Marshal Timoshenko at the present rate of progress will completely isolate Kharkov within a week. He says: "The present Russian thrust may disintegrate the German concentrations which have been preparing to move towards Rostov and thence to the Caucasus. Marshal Timoshenko is reported to have been troubled by the heavy German attack on the Isyum-Baren-kova front, but it is well known that he anticipated this Nazi move and was well prepared to meet it. At the mcment he is concontrating on wide outflanking thrusts around Kharkov to cut off its communica- j tlons and supplies."