MIGHTY VOLGA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 August 1942, Page 4

MIGHTY VOLGA

ARTERY OF TRAFFIC

DISTRIBUTION OF PETROL. THREAT TO STALINGRAD. Should the Gormans succeed in establishing themselves on the Volga at Stalingrad very serious consequences will be suffered by the Russian supply system, especially in the delivery of Caucasian motor spirit to the distribution points of the interior. During the seven or eight months when the river is ice-free the waterway of over 2300 miles and its tributaries, with an aggregate of 14,500 miles of navigable water, carry a traffic of immense proportions and of this no commodity at the present time is more important than petrol. This comes from the Baku region' of- the Caspian. Even in the delta stretch of 70 miles to the port of Astrakan, the non-tidal estuaries of the river, which' has over 200 mouths, are not suitable for craft of deep draught. Constant dredging is necessary to maintain a channel of eight feet. And wide though the river becomes there is a gradual diminution in the depth of the water. Nevertheless, suitable vessels and barges can carry a volume of freight that would paralyse the railways. The fall of Stalingrad would also mean the cutting of the most easterly Caucasian, line, which runs north-east, south of the Don, and passes through Stalingrad before it turns north-west. For north-bound arterial traffic there then would remain only the railway east of the Volga through the Kazak steppe, which joins the most southerly east and west main line not far from Saratov on the Volga—that and roads of a primitive character. SUPPLIES THROUGH IRAN. In addition to the effect of such an advance upon the petrol supplies of the whole country, there would also be added difficulty in transporting to the interior equipment from Britain and the United States, sent from the Persian Gulf through Iran to the Caspian. However, most of this material may be landed on the west Caspian seaboard to strengthen the Russian armies along the lower Don. The real problem to be envisaged, should the German easterly attack succeed, would be a great shrinkage in the petrol resources of the armies of the north.

In normal times Leningrad, not Astrakan, is the more important “mouth” of the Volga for one of its upper navigable , tributaries, the Sheksna, is linked by the Marii and Wurttemberg Canals with the basins of the Neva and Northern Dwina. Rybinsk is the river port that stands at the confluence with the Sheksna and thousands of vessels enter it annually. Between Rybinsk and Stalingrad thousands of shallow-draught vessels and tens of thousands of barges ply in trades serving hundreds of towns and thousands of rural communities served by landing stages. In every reach there are “harbours” for wintering craft and the most important of them are those that are “ice-proof.” Their waters, of course, freeze, but their loca-

tion elves necessary protection when the ice breaks. MIGHTY DRAINAGE BASIN. Although the drainage basin of the Volga is larger than the aggiegate areas of Germany, France and the Uni iccl Kingdom mid tlic com sc oi the river is'over 2000 miles, its fall is slight. The marshes of its source arsj* only 665 feet above ocean level and'--its outfall at the Caspian about 86 feet below ocean level. Where the city of Stalingrad stands it is 58 feet below ocean level. The lower reaches of the Volga are a very -valuable source of fish food. The shallow and still limans or “cutoil’s” cf the delta, with the northern waters of the Caspian Sea, form one of the most productive fishing grounds of the world. As soon as the ice breaks in the delta shoals of roach and trout rush up the river. They are followed by the great sturgeon, the pike, the bream and the pike perch. Later appears the Caspian herring, which in recent years has become more important than the sturgeon. Thereafter come two other types of sturgeon, the lamprey, which is extensively pickled, the sterlet, the tench and gudgeon. Thus a blow reaching the lower Volga would at least prevent the distribution of an important fish harvest as well as capturing or destroying much ripening grain on the way.