RUSSIAN PLANS

Southland Times, Issue 24818, 10 August 1942, Page 5

RUSSIAN PLANS

GERMANS MAY OCCUPY NORTH CAUCASUS (8.0.W.) RUGBY, August 8. Developments in the Caucasus m the last week or two are considered m informed quarters in London to indicate that the Germans have not been confronted with large Russian forces. Delaying actions have been fought oj rearguards with varying success, but the German advance up the railroad south-east from Rostov has been particularly rapid. Further west temporary successful actions have been fought and are still being fought southwards from Rostov towards Krasnodar, near the western end of the Caucasus Mountains. This view of the situation is supported by the continual Soviet mention of numerically superior el ] en ?y forces in all sectors southward of tne Don and by the failure of the enemy to announce large captures of men and materials. , ' By contrast in the sector round Stalingrad the Russians are evidently using large forces to contest the German progress near Kotelnokovo. On this important part of the front the enemy re " cently advanced northward of Kotelnokovo, but there is little doubt that his progress here will continue to be stoutly resisted as he approaches Stalingrad from the south-west. Meanwhile, the Russian positions covering Stalingrad in the bend of the Don between Kalach and Kletskaya are being fiercely and successfully maintained. The situation thus outlined leads to the supposition that Soviet strategy is still to preserve the strength of the armies at the cost of sacrificing territory which can be abandoned with the least serious results. Consequently, the possibility is foreseen that the Germans may be able to occupy this summer all the area lying northward of