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Wairarapa Times-Age FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1941. MORE THAN MOSCOW IN DANGER.

17VEN the Nazi propagandists who were assuring their dupes, three months ago and more, that Russia would be beaten into submission in a few weeks are now compelled to admit that the resistance of the Soviet armies must be expected to extend indefinitely. Dr Goebbels has done this, with an exceedingly ill grace, in his latest speech.

The outcome of the war against Russia has already been decided (he said), but remnants of the Bolshevik divisions will possibly offer a futile and desperate resistance for some time.

There is in fact no indication that the Germans have any prospects of destroying the organisation of the Russian armies or breaking their spirit and that of the nation which is supporting- them so well and loyally. The danger is in plain sight, however, that Russia may be further and seriously weakened in the immediate future by the loss particularly of industiial territory and perhaps of oilfields.

The Soviet Army newspaper “Red Star” has issued a warning that Moscow is in danger. Late events on several routes of approach to the capital city give full point to this warning, but it has been observed also that, the greatest danger at present threatening Russia, is that the German command may be able to switch a considerable part of its force against the southern Soviet armies defending the Donetz basin, the greatest of the Russian industrial areas, and the approaches to the Caucasus. The capture of Bryansk and other developments on the south-western and southern approaches to Moscow have already done something to outflank the Soviet armies in the south and to make their position precarious.

At the same time these armies, commanded by Marshal Budenny, are being subjected to heavy direct attack. They are still, as information stands, holding positions west of Kharkov, but in the area north of the Sea of Azov the Russians now, hold the vital railway and pipeline junction of Rostov by a margin of considerably less than 100 miles—a margin by no means ample in these days of open warfare and rapid movement of mechanised forces.

Very roughly, the position indicated at the moment is that the armies defending the industrial area of the Donetz basin, on which Russia is dependent for a large part of her war supplies, are in apparent danger of being outflanked on north and south, while if the Germans succeed in taking Rostov, the principal line of communication between European Russia and the Caucasus will be cut.

Magnificently as the Russians have fought and are fighting, the Germans during the last week or two have made substantial progress towards Moscow and also towards their southern objectives. Both the strength and weakness of Nazi Germany appear in the facts and setting of the Eastern campaign. Against their staggering losses of men and material in the last four months, the Germans certainly have achieved far less than they had hoped to achieve in Russia. They, have fallen hopelessly short of justifying the fantastic claims made, not only by their propagandists, but by their High Command. Their continued reliance on unscrupulous mendacity no doubt implies, amongst other things, uneasy fears regarding the effect on the morale both of the army and the civil population of the Reich of the losses sustained and of the dogged resolution with which the Russians are continuing the struggle. On the other hand, it has been and is being made manifest that the German war machine is still exceedingly formidable and is being directed with great ability.

In face of any and every detail defeat, the Russians are continuing to rally most gallantly and nothing is yet to be taken for granted regarding the measure of success the Germans are likely to achieve before winter imposes limits on military action over considerable sections of the Eastern front. Apart from the demonstrated necessity of straining every nerve to assist Russia, however, it evidently is only prudent to take full account of the possibility that Germany may be able to divert great forces from the Eastern front to other areas of war. The courses most obviously open to her are an attack on Britain or a drive towards the Mediterranean. The. latter enterprise may be expected on. a number of grounds to have, of the two, the stronger appeal to the men who control the Nazi Avar machine. With the likelihood of a blaze of Avar in the Middle East, account has to be taken of other factors in the Avorld situation. Amongst these the reactions of Ja'pan to the trend for the time being in the Russo-German campaign stand out prominently.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WAITA19411017.2.15

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 October 1941, Page 4

Word count
Tapeke kupu
779

Wairarapa Times-Age FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1941. MORE THAN MOSCOW IN DANGER. Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 October 1941, Page 4

Wairarapa Times-Age FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1941. MORE THAN MOSCOW IN DANGER. Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 October 1941, Page 4

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