RUSSIAN STRATEGY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 47, 8 February 1944, Page 4

RUSSIAN STRATEGY

THE victorious onward sweep of the Soviet armies-has been signalised by yet another disaster of the first magnitude for the; invaders. Once again the Muscovite leaders have proven their reputation as masters of strategy in the vast land battle which stretches from coast to coast. The pincer movement which has been utilised so often with such tremendous results has been applied once more with dramatic effect south of Keiv. The stolid Teuton been outwitted, outgeneralled and outfought in the semirural lands which characterise the Ukraine. Under the steady pressure of the Russian frontal drive the German; command allowed its battle lines to bulge until once more the favourable formation took place and the spearheads of the Soviet flank attacks drove deep into the weakened enemy sides, nipping off a substantial area of the salient and surrounding ten desperate Nazi divisions. At least 150 000 German soldiers are now completely cut off under the' cold pressure of the relentless defenders. The plight •of the isolated men can best be imagined than described. Cut off from all communication with their rear. Foodless ammunitionless and in many cases leaderless they must face up to the relentless Russian bombardment and the fury of his infantry onslaughts. After Stalingrad, Staraya .Russa, and other drastic experiences on the Russian front, it is hard to understand the German High Command laying itself open to yet a further • paralysing blow of major military conseqences. Perhaps m the new turn of events for long prophesied sign—the cracking up .o the German morale, is discernable. Perhaps again the new victory for Soviet arms is but the outcome of the smashing advance by the Communist soldiery, m which case the German retreat can only be described as a route. What-! ever the reason, it is definitely another sign of the writing on the wall which is slowly spelling out the doom o Naziism and the overthrow of the triple forces of aggresrt sion.