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Wairarapa Times-Age TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1941. CRITICAL DAYS IN RUSSIA.

VESTER DAY’S news Unit the Russians, after many days 01. 1 fierce fighting, have evacuated Kiev means that the Nazi menace, not only to Russia, but to the whole of the Allied world and to all ITeenalions, is intensified. The plan to which the Germans are working in their war against Russia and I lie not inconsiderable progress they have made in carrying mH I hat plan are now plainly defined.

When they launched their attack on Ihe Soviet I nion three months ago, the Nazi gangsters hoped for an easy and speedy victory which would enable them, to use the vast resources of Russia, developed and potential, in a war ol annihilation against the rest of the world—principally the Englishspeaking nations. The powerful and valiant resistance ol the Russian armies, air and naval forces has shown what the initial Nazi hope was worth, bill al a minimum the Germans are striving now to cut Russia off from effective contact with the other Allied nations and to prevent her from receiving supplies from these nations and Irom the United Stall's.

In north and south alike, that aim is being pursued with a savage disregard of the tremendous losses in men ami material involved. In the north, the Nazis obviously are intent, not only on capturing the great city ol Leningrad and breaking Russia’s naval grip on the Baltic, but also on seizing the Soviet Arctic and ice-free port of Murmansk. In the south, the hopes of the Nazis are centred on a drive which would give them possession of the whole Russian Black Sea coast and the Caucasus and lay open the countries of the Middle East Io invasion.

If may be assumed by Hitler and his fellow-gangsters that if they succeed wholly or largely in their design of milting Russia’s supply routes by way of the Arctie. the Mediterranean and Black Sea' ami the Persian Gulf, they will be aide to draw Japan into the war against the Allies and to assign to her primarily ihe task of milting, or attempting to cut, Russia’s remaining route of supply across the Pacific to Vladivostok. The possibility that the Japanese militarists are. prepared to have their country made use of in this way certainly is not to be dismissed.

The latest reports in hand al time of writing stale that Leningrad and Odessa, the latter held as a lortress behind Ihe enemy southern Hank, are more than holding their own and that the Russians are resisting strongly, and in places counterattacking in force, east ol' Kiev. The loss ol the great Ukrainian city is far enough from implying, of necessity, that the German southern drive will succeed, blit it does mean that the Russians are weakened to an extent which Inis yet to be determined, bid certainly is serious, by the loss ol a liirther large area ol valuable and highly productive industrial territory.

Territorially, the Gerniaiis have a loiiff way to go before they can complete their conquest of t he Russian Black Sea coast and occupy the Caucasian oilfields. The Crimea in itself has been described by the President of its governing Soviet as an impregnable fortress which will crush any attack, hi their southern thrust the Germans are confronted by a vast extent of difficult country, much of it mountainous, in which they must expect to encounter a formidable and resolute resistance.

ft is at the same time self-evident, however, that nothing but inability to withstand more than temporarily the present German onset would have induced the Russians to give up a city like Kiev qm! the industrial area of which it is the centre. This event and' other developments on the Eastern front set all possible emphasis on the necessity that the Allies should give Russia, for her sake and in Uieir own interests, every ounce of assistance in their power.

That assistance is being given already, directly and-in-directly, in an increasing How of planes, tanks and other supplies, in the great and extending onslaughts the Royal Air Force is making by day and night on Germany and on occupied territories and in other ways. That it will be developed to the limit and that the most will be made of every opportunity of giving help or relief to Russia no doubt is to be taken for granted.

Much may depend on developments now in imminent prospect, particularly a Bulgarian declaration of war on Russia and a German invasion of Turkey. If these developments take shape, wide possibilities may be expected to appear of co-opera-tion between the British forces in the Middle East and the Russian southern armies.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WAITA19410923.2.17

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 September 1941, Page 4

Word count
Tapeke kupu
781

Wairarapa Times-Age TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1941. CRITICAL DAYS IN RUSSIA. Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 September 1941, Page 4

Wairarapa Times-Age TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1941. CRITICAL DAYS IN RUSSIA. Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 September 1941, Page 4

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