Wairarapa Times-Age SATURDAY, JULY 10, 1943. BLITZKRIEG AT ALL COSTS.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 July 1943, Page 2

Wairarapa Times-Age SATURDAY, JULY 10, 1943. BLITZKRIEG AT ALL COSTS.

AT limo of writing the extent to which the Russian defences in the Byelgorod area, north of Kharkov, have been pene,trated by the German attacking armies is not indicated precisely. it may be that the enemy lias only a limited and local success to set against his prodigal expenditure of lives and material in the days since he opened his offensive. Some loss of ground ho doubt is inevitable in face of an attack of this character, but it remains to be seen how long Germany can afford to go on paying the price this probably limited progress entails. In any it may be taken confidently for granted that the Nazis'will not again be permitted to concentrate against Russia to anything like the extent they- were able to up to the summer of last year. According to the Soviet Information Bureau: “The German losses in their present offensive are the greatest that have ever been recorded in such a short space, even in this war.” This is a. part, and an important part, of the picture now taking shape, but the picture will be completed only when the Western Allies have developed the coordinated action to which they are pledged. The likelihood of a desperate effort by Hitler to defeat and cripple Russia was envisaged and emphasised by Mr Churchill when he addressed the American Congress in Washington in May last. The British Prime Minister® on that occasion, said that Hitler would not succeed. “But,” he added, “we must do everything in our power that is sensible and practicable to take more of the weight off Russia in 1943.” It need not be doubted that action on these lines has been well prepared and would be taken swiftly should the position of Russia show any signs of becoming dangerously critical. The possibility perhaps should not be overlooked, however, that it may bo part of the Allied strategic plan that Germany should be committed as deeply as possible on the Eastern front before she is attacked in other areas. Before long in any event, and taking account amongst other things of the recent great improvement in the shipping position, it should be possible to give a practical demonstration of the extent to which the resources of Germany and her satellites are stretched and strained, and incidentally of the risks the enemy is taking in massing on the Eastern front as large a proportion of his total forces as he is now employing there. Uneasy speculation in Berlin regarding the presence of great Allied armies in North Africa and the Middle East, with an extended choice before them of more or less promising points of attack, covers only part of the ground. One of the greatest factors of all of course is the ever-increasing Allied air superiority, which is being made manifest in eyery area of conflict and no doubt will count heavily in other areas in which, battle has yet to be joined.