NORTH RUSSIA

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 222, 14 June 1920, Page 5

NORTH RUSSIA

RECORD OF. OPERATIONS

LORD RAWLINSON ON THE EVACUATION

Dispatches which form a complete record of tho North Russian operations, from May, 1918, to October, 1019,* were' Dublished last month as a supplement to tho London "Gazette." They include the reports of Major-General Poole, who first held the chief-command, MajorGwieral Ironsido. who-succeeded Mm, Major-Genoral Maynard, commanding the Murmansk force, and Lord Rawlinsoii. who went out in August last to Superintend, the evacuation of tho two forces.

Tho oricinal landing at Murmansk was niado at tho invitation of the Soviet Government owing to the German and Finnish' threat to seize-tliif ports of Murmansk and' Petchenga. Shortly after General Poole's arrival Moscow changed its attitude. It was at first undecided then definitely .hostile, though tho troops had already landed; The local population, however, welcomed the presence of the Allied troops, and at a meeting in June, 1918. they unanimously decided not to oboy the orders of tho Central Soviet and to defend iturmansk against the Germans with the Allies co-opera-tion.

This definite stand, and tho presenoe of a stiffcnlng 'of. British, French, 'ami Serbian troops, made the enemy's enterprise against the northern ports hopeless, but it was now an 'object to prevent the departure of Yon der Goltz's German? to reinforce tho Western front,' Purely passive action would not have availed, and General Maynard, there-, fore, instituted offensive operations ■ which in tho courso of two months car-: ned his trooDs several hundreds of miles' southward to Soroka. on the White Sea. These movements caused much perturbation to the Germans, and General von. der Goltz sent repeated demands for ■ reinforcements. The rapid approach rf the Armistice in the West', however, al-. tered matters, and a lari>e proportion of the German troops wero withdrawn •by the beftinning of November.

Training the Russians. General Ironside took over the chief cominand in October, 1918. The main objective of the force at Archangel had now become the organisation and training of a Russian force-so that the Russian Northern Government might bo <n ? Position to. continue the struggle' bv itself. The town had been occupied at the beginning of the preceding August when the Allies' aid had been cordiallv invoked by an anti-Bolshevist Government which had been set up with Af. ichaikovsky at its head. Beforo General Ironside's arrival the mainstay of ~L™ 1Cl! Wns an Allied force of 14,000 men, confuting of- British.' French, American, Italian, and lolish troops. A mobilisation of 10 loral. population was ordered,/ and tho training was, carried out under the supervision of Britishl officers. In this vay a Russian forco of 25,000 men was successfully raised, organised, and trained.

As the winter drew on the Bolshevist efforts^ to turn the Allies out of Arohaiigel became stronger and stronger The Allied forces wore often linrd put to it. to maintain t!»eir extended positions against superior forces. But during March and April they were successful in breaking up the final Bolshevist attacks with great loss, and tho safety of the force in Archangel was assured. _ During the spring it was hoped that a junction with the forces of Admiral IMchak could bo carried out near Kot-' las, on the river Dvina. thus assuring' the stability of the North Russian Gov.ernment. .Owing to the retreat of the Siberian forces, however, thiis. hope could not be realised. A disengaging blow was' struck by troops under Brigadier-General Sadleir-Jackson. This operation was a complete success and General Ironsido was able to report to Lord Rawlinson on his arrival as Commander-in-Cliief that evacuation could be carried out according to plans already submitted. Fats of Archangel. Lord Rawlinson had been sent out in pursuance of a decision by the British Government to withdraw all troops be-' fore tho arrival of tho winter ice closed again the ports to shipping. Lord Rawlinson was anxiously concerned about tho fate of Archangel after Ks withdrawal, and after full inquiries ho decided to recommend General Miller, tho Russian commander, to agree to the following proposals:— (a) The abandonment'of tho defence ofArchangel after our departure. (b) -The evacuation to other parts of Russia of those amongst thci civil population who might fee victims of Bolshevist reprisals. (c) The transfer, of the-North: Russian. Government to i Kem'©Y"M i iirnmn6k. (d) The concentration-of all the best, element? among therßusian troops fori the defence of the Murmansk front. - :

The reasons for this advice wore, that' the strategic importance of tho Arch-! angel front had been greatly reduced by Kolchak's retreat, that thetroops available: after the Allies' departure seemed inadequate, and that there was a danger of the spread of Bolshevism. The' Russians, however, wero not ablo to follow., this advice—in Lord Rawlinsoii's opinion because of orders from Admiral Kolckik to hold , Archangel at 'all costs and because of the loss of- prestige' involved by withdrawn?, at a time when Denikin'e star was in tho ascendant.

_ "They did not realise," says Lord Raw linscm, "the rapid spread of a powerful Bolshevist propaganda both in the coun- • try districts and in the town, of Archangel itself. As a consequence, they were unwilling to admit the difficulties of the position in which they would find themselves after British support had been withdrawn, or to appreciate the fact that the great majority of tho population regarded the possible triumph of Bolshevism in the northern region with indifference, if not with favour."

Tho delicate operation of extricating troops in contact with the enemy was increased by the fact,.that., tho Reds not only knew of our intention to withdraw, but, owing to the approach of tho ice season, could accurately forecast the dste. As events turned out, except for a 6harp brush with tho enemy at tho junction of tho Vnga and the Dvina owing to the failure of the Russians to cover the retirement of our troops down the former river, tho operation of withdrawal on- the several fronts was carried out strictly iu accordance with tho programme, and practically without incident On September 27 the evacuation of Archangel was successfully completed. Six thousand civilians, who it was foaxed might be made the victims of Bolshevists reprisals, were evacuated at the same time. -

Though Lord Rawf.inson was unable to accede to General Miller's request that British trcops should Ire left behind to garrison Arohangel, lie handed ovor to the Russians two tanks and an. ndemiato quantity of supplies to meet imniediatorequirements. The evacuation of the Murmansk area, where, owing to the illness of General Maynard, Uie actual conduct of the retirement was entrusted to Bvigarler-Gen-eral H. C. Jackson, was completed by October 12. . ■ ■ : : >