LOOKING AHEAD

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 March 1943, Page 3

LOOKING AHEAD

DISLOCATION OF ENEMY PLANS POSITION ALONG WHOLE FRONT. MUCH CHANGED IN FAVOUR OF RUSSIANS. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, March 14. “The great counter-offensive battle has not yet been won,” says the Stockholm correspondent of “The Times.” ‘Though the Russians have been obliged to give'up valuable ground there are no signs of their resistance breaking anywhere in the Kharkov area; but the danger of encirclement at Kharkov is greater than it was at Stalingrad, which had the advantage of the mighty Volga in its rear. “The Germans are staking more at Kharkov than the Russians. Success by the Germans would merely avert the disaster menacing the troops in the Donetz Basin without achieving much toward restoring the former position, whereas failure would be likely to make the delayed disaster much more comprehensive. , “If the Russians, when the ground improves, are able to mount a heavy offensive against Taganrog they might sweep along the Sea of Azov toward Dnepropetrovsk. The Germans are aware of this threat and are continuing to probe the Russians’ strength on the Mius River, where the Russians have accumulated strong artillery and armour with a considerable potentiality.” “Whatever the ultimate result of the German counter-stroke at Kharkov, the general position along the whole front is greatly changed in favour of the Russians since last month. The importance of the Russian elimination of the Demyansk and Rzhev-Vyazma bulges toward Moscow is that it has robbed the Germans of valuable forward positions for eventual offensives which in the meantime were tying up large Russian forces. “It is scarcely thinkable that the Germans will be able effectively to mount an offensive in the coming months from their present deteriorated lines. The Germans have had a busy and costly 3 winter, and the offensive for the rescue of the Donetz Basin must inevitably prejudice their original plans for the spring and summer. The Germans have temporarily seized the local initiative which, however, is unlikely to be maintained.

“A German summer offensive, if one is launched, appears likely to be confined to a new attempt to conquer the Caucasus, but even this would be less attractive than it was last year, in spite of the undimished value of the oil wells.” 1