NAVAL POWER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 October 1941, Page 5

NAVAL POWER

lAIPORTANCE IN BLACK SEA ADVANTAGES POSSESSED BY RUSSIANS. STRENGTH OF SEBASTOPOL. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day. 9.45 a.m.) RUGBY, October 29. The importance to the Russians of their complete domination of the Black Sea is pointed out in authoritative naval quarters in London. The successful evacuation by sea from Odessa and the stubborn defence of the Crimea no doubt owed much to this factor. The Russians have one battleship, five cruisers, 27 destroyers, about fifty motor torpedo-boats and about fifty submarines, while the Axis has only five destroye'rs, five or a few more motor torpedo-boats and < one or perhaps a few more submarines. Besides these forces, neutral Turkey has one battle-cruiser, two cruisers, four destroyers, two torpedo-boats and seven submarines. Russia thus controls all the sea communications of the Axis armies as they advance along the Black Sea coast. The Russian naval forces are based on the excellent port of Sebastopol, which has all the necessary facilities and is strongly defended against land and air attack. The ability of a well-defended port to shelter a fleet has been amply demonstrated by the example of Malta, which is still in full operation as a sea base after hundreds of air attacks during the past sixteen months. Even if the Russians lose Sebastopol their fleet would still find shelter at Novorossisk, which however has limited repair facilities, or at Batum which is by no means without usefulness as a naval port. It is pointed out that in order to keep the fleet at Sebastopol the Russians would of course need to maintain fighter protection from air attacks, as they hitherto have done all along the front. The latest information in London describes the Russian weather as extremely bad. According to the Berlin radio, the German Deputy-Press Chief says that the battle in the east has now entered Upon its second stage and heavy claims will still have to be made upon the efficiency of the German soldiers. ' , - - , - r- -- . . I