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Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 March 1943, Page 3

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NEW PHASE OF OPERATIONS OPENED DEMONSTRATION OF SOVIET STRIKING POWER. e MUCH MORE FORMIDABLE THAN LAST YEAR. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, March 9. A phase of the operations in Russia seems to have come to an end with the slowing and narrowing of the Russian progress and the German riposte in the south. The Germans themselves apparently feel that they have averted the danger of another large encirclement on the Stalingrad scale, but do not yet foresee the end of the Russian offensives. “The Times” states that in the south the characteristics of the Russian winter have now disappeared, without much prospect of return, and the season being so abnormal, the winter may also prove shorter than usual in the centre and in the north. The general effect of the thaw has been to deprive the Russians of the advantage inherent in their superiority in winter warfare, and to handicap them because their communications across the devastated country must, be weaker than those of the Germans. But the past few months have proved that the Russian offensive power is far more formidable than a year ago, alike as regards numbers, armament, and tactics. It is also revealed that none of the fortresses by which the Germans have kept their hold upon a vast extent of territory without a great expenditure of strength can any longer be considered immune from successful assault. So far every one which has been resolutely attacked has fallen. “The Tinies” says that the consequence is that wherever the Germans find themselves on the defensive, they must keep reserves widely distributed. At the moment they have reinforced the whole front from the far north to the Sea of Azov, and the costly gyrations of Rommel in Tunisia can only .be interpreted as a means of postponing the time when they will be compelled to draw upon their Russian reserves for other purposes.