Wairarapa Times-Age SATURDAY, JULY 12, 1941. HITLER’S EASTERN VENTURE.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 July 1941, Page 4

Wairarapa Times-Age SATURDAY, JULY 12, 1941. HITLER’S EASTERN VENTURE.

JT is much too soon for most people even to begin to form tin opinion ns to the probable ultimate outcome of the Nazi invasion of Russia. Apart from the fact that this great campaign is influenced by and will influence others, a number 01. unknown or unmeasured factors tire involved. With much remaining to be determined, however, some definite conclusions appear to be warranted in regard to the opening phase of the mightiest conflict of bind forces the war has yet. witnessed. There is evidence, as a well-known British military commentator has said, that so far as its initial stage is concerned, the German plan of attack on Russia has miscarried.

In German coinmuniipies and the utterances of the German Press in the opening days of the Eastern campaig’n it was made plain that Hitler and his gang expected to be able to strike an immediately crippling, it not finally decisive blow against, the Russian armies. The indicated hope l ol the Nazis was that their armoured thrusts through Minsk towards Smolensk and through Lemberg towards Kiev, would place not merely outlying Russian forces, but a large l part ol the main Russian armies, at their mercy. The story in a nutshell of the first three week's of the Russo-German war is that the Germans, in spilt l ol the utmost, efforts pf armoured columns and the Luftwaffe.- have lallcn immensely short of the results they had hoped to attain.

There docs not seem to be any doubt that flit 1 Russians, placed in any case at an initial disadvantage by a treacherous surprise attack, incurred heavier losses than they need by attempting to defend outlying territories which might more wisely have been abandoned. Even so, however, it is clear that, far from having suffered overwhelming disaster, they are fighting more strongly and determinedly than ever after weeks in which the Germans have been doing their utmost to strike finishing blows.

The number of 300,000 prisoners the Germans claim to have taken west of Minsk, together with 3,000 armoured vehicles and 2,000 guns, not improbably is greatly exaggerated. In any case, the Germans have themselves suit (‘red very heavy losses of men and material ami now, after what they call “the greatest battle of encirclement in the world’s history” are laced by unbroken armies, fighting powerfully in defence and counter-attack.

Provided the Russian armies and people maintain the spirit, they have Ilins far manifested, and no reason appears lor doubting that they will, a dreary prospect- is opened for Hitler and his fellow-criminals. They gambled undoubtedly on the hope of gaining speedy as well as overwhelming results in Russia, but in the event the Nazi armies practically everywhere have had to fight desperately. and to pay a heavy price in lives, lor each league of scorched earth they have occupied. There is apparently no trace.in Russia of the moral collapse which assisted the Nazis so much to gain easy victories in France and elsewhere in Western Europe. On the whole the events of tin 1 opening weeks of the war on the Eastern front have done much to strengthen the hope that in the end Russia will bi l a graveyard of Nazi hopes.

It is, of course, very necessary to avoid the error of foolish over-optimism. Although the Germans have accomplished comparatively little in the last week or more of bitter lighting, and although, according to the Soviet, some of their best divisions have been annihilated, the land and air forces ol the Reich arc still to be reckoned with as an immensely powerful engine of ■war. Even if they have to abandon grandiose schemes ol easy victory, it is no doubt open to them, at a price, in the period' of good weather, to occupy further considerable areas of Russian territory. The Ukraine, and possibly the Caucasus, remain exposed to the menace of invasion and it is significant, in the same general connection that the Russians have withdrawn a large part of their Baltic fleet, by way of the Stalin Canal, to the Arctic. The action, thus taken is significant also, however, of the determination of the Russians to continue an organised and powerful resistance in spite even of important losses of territory. ;

The prospect is rather more than tentatively opened that any measure of concpiest Germany may achieve for the time being in Russia will be largely barren, and that she will find herself involved on the Eastern front in coni inning military liabilities on the greatest scale. In the extent to wfliich these expectations are realised there will be a notably increased opportunity for the effective, exercise of Britain’s growing strength on land and sea. and in. the air. The grip of the Navy is tightening inexorably. The air attack on Germany in her own territory and in many other areas of conflict is already developing impressively .and firm assurances are given that this is merely a foretaste of what is to follow'. At the stage meantime reached, Russia is making a splendid contribution to the great combined and continuing effort needed to ensure the destruction of Nazism.