GERMAN AIMS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 March 1943, Page 4

GERMAN AIMS

ON THE RUSSIAN FRONT CONJECTURE IN LONDON. PURELY DEFENSIVE POLICY THOUGHT LIKELY. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 9.15 a.m.) LONDON, March 4. The “Daily Express” military correspondent believes the abandonment of Rhzev can mean only that the Germans have adopted a policy of saving as much of their army as possible, by making a long retreat—in other words, refusing to fight except in the Donbas. “It seems clear,” he says, “that the enemy is smelling a new Stalingrad in every fresh blow the Red Army strikes.. His abandonment of one strongpoint after another is enough proof. But now he is also abandoning any future hope of mounting a new offensive towards Moscow. That is a tremendous moral victory for our Allies.” Comment is cautious nowadays on the Donetz fighting. It is observed that an early thaw in the Ukraine has upset Russian calculations, halting General Vatoutin’s drive over the ridge of the Donetz basin. The “Daily Telegraph’s” Moscow correspondent reports that a huge confused battle is raging between Voroshilovgrad and Stalino. “The final thaw clearly is very near in the Ukraine,” he adds. “When it comes it will mean heavy black mud, but not for long. It will not be followed 'by the usual floods, because I have never seen so little snow there. From the farmer’s standpoint that doubtless is disastrous, but for the Red Army, which intends at any cost to resume and maintain the offensive, it is ideal. It means hard going again soon.” “The Times” observes that the situation is complicated in the Donetz area, and that the Germans claim that they have cut off the most advanced Russian spearhead towards the Dnieper. The Germans undoubtedly have inflicted considerable loss on the Russians and recovered ground, but it remains to be seen whether they can maintain either effort in this territory. “The Times” believes that even if the widening of the corridor does succeed in securing the withdrawal of the 'German Donetz army, it is unlikely that it aspires to do more than that. “To attempt for very long to maintain any position- east of the Dnieper,” “The Times” observes, “would expose the enemy to a rapidly increasing risk, seeing that the Russian advance westward from Kharkov is still flowing powerfully ahead towards Poltava. This movement, if unstemmed, might cut ‘the line of the Dnieper on the north side of the great bend, and further imperil both the retreating forces and those sent to their relief.” Another view is that it is still militarily possible for the Germans to launch a new offensive in the south, but that the chances are increasing rapidly that the Germans plan only defensive warfare in the East in future, which means that they are preparing to divert all possible available resources westwards to meet the Allied threat.