Wairarapa Times-Age TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 1941. AIR SUPPORT FOR RUSSIA.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 September 1941, Page 4

Wairarapa Times-Age TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 1941. AIR SUPPORT FOR RUSSIA.

——- — AT a broad view the British military writers who are continning, according to one of yesterday-s cablegrams, Jo urge more aid for i’nssia are likely to carry with them a big body of public opinion. .Apart from the l fact that Russia, by her valiant and indomitable resistance to the Nazi hordes, .has established the strongest possible claims to support, H N particularly clear tlial. even in their own interests, Britain and the United Slates are bound to expand this support on the greatest scale that is practicable.

There can be no doubt about I he crucial import to the whole, world of free men. as well as to Russia individually., ol Ihi issues that are now in the balance on the Kaslern Iront and most of all on its southern flank. With a largo part ol the industrial territory of the Ukraine in enemy hands, though devastated ami stripped of much of its equipment, and the remaining part imminently menaced, an onlooking world is waiting with bated breath to see whether the Russians can hohl the Crimea and command of the Black Sea and smash Die German attempt Io thrust into the Caucasmn oilfields. Ihe Rondon “Now Statesman” has rightly emphasised I lie danger that Russia mivht be crippled, if not completely disabled, il she lost the oilfields of the Caucasus. Bull weight is thus given to a statement by ilm Russian Ambassador to Britain, Al. Maisky, in the course ol which ho said :— We have to think of this war in terms of a common iront. . According to the fortunes of war. the forces and resources of the Allies must be shifted from one sector to another as the militaiy situation demands. With this in mind, all available help and assistance at the present time should go to the*Eastern iront. AVith this fully accepted, even tin* layman may be justified. in regarding as radically unsound some of the proposals now being put forward by the British writers who are urging more aid for Russia. One of these writers (Mr John Gordon) is quoted as saying:— Britain should send to Russia as many bombers as she can fly there. Surely the place for our bombers is where they can kill tne most Germans, create the greatest chaos, and cause the most devastation. That place is now the Russian front. Why we keep our bombers here, sinking an odd snip in the Channel, making holes in French airfields which can be refilled in a few hours, and taking potshots at empty bathing huts on the Channel beaches is beyond me. These observations ignore, amongst other things, the 1 act that the greatest centres of German war industry are still in the Ruhr and elsewhere in Western Germany, and that they have been bombed repeatedly and heavily by British air squadrons. In bombing the Rhineland and other parts of Germany, at times as far east as Berlin and Stettin, British bombing squadrons are playing their full part in the war on a common front to which M. Maisky referred. It has to be considered, too, Unit Britain’s bomber and fighter squadrons are only kept in the air by a great and elaborate industrial, maintenance and supply organisation. This tremendous organisation, without, which the finest air fleets would speedily be grounded helplessly, if they were not overtaken by worse misfortune, certainly could not be transplanted speedily . Least of all could it be transplanted in satisfactory conditions to Russia, which at present is in touch with. Britain only by supply routes which fob one reason or another leave much to be desired. The Arctic, Mediterranean, Persian Gulf and Vladivostok routes all have their limitations and disadvantages. That Britain is able and willing to give Russia some direct air support is demonstrated in the presence on the Eastern front of a R.A.F. wing consisting of fighting planes. r fo what extent this aid can be amplified is u matter to be determined by the authorities concerned, under expert guidance. As regards proposals like that put. forward by Air Gordon, however, it is obvious that the mere flying of bombers to the Eastern front would solve a very small part of the problem involved.