Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-10
Reds Devise
Night Attack
On Maxi B|i+z
Smart Chinese Used
Idea Against Japs
BY PAUL MALLON

NV AsNAllAN NsNs NAaf Nf
W The Reds have devised a
tricky new defense for the Nazl
blitz might fighting.
The Germans thrust their
long single column files of tanks
through the Russian lines like
fingers extending from your
hand. Without equality in the
air the Reds. like the French.
bave not been able TO stop this
supposedly unbeatable mothod
81 attack in daylight. But at
hight the tanks are helpless.
That is the time when they stop
10 receive gasoline and food
brought up from the rear.
So the Reds have been hiding
in The forests and wheat fields
as the tanks passed during the
day falling upon them at night
when they are without their
eyes Uheir plane auXiliaries)
and beyond aid Of the Stuka
dive bombcrs which clear the
way for them in the day.
EVEN the Nazi communicates
~ suggest The Russians have
been extremely successful with
these and similarly unidentified
tricks. The idea is not entirely
new. The non-mechanical theory
of II was originated by the Chi
nese. They have disguised troops
as farmers and laborers, leaving
them behind in cities TO be oc-
cupied by the japanese. When
the japanese were asleep at
night they arose from all sides
and started night melees.
The French tried night at
tacks on the Nazi tanks but
they did not have the Slavic
Oriental finesse of the Reds, and
anyway they were much too
surprised by the Nazi method
of attack TO get organized for
1T. Stain has obviously organ
lied these tactics extensively.
IHAT the Reds have slowed
down the Blitz in this way
for the first time, there can be
no questions. Tank crews with
out food, gas and sleep cannot
operate, but whether the method
has or can be sufficiently ex-
plotted to defeat the far-fung
German plan of attack may still
be doubted.
The Germans are answering
by surrounding their tanks with
lines of infantry during dark
ness. They may develop other
answers.
The extremely few military
authorities here who think the
Reds have a long range chance,
base their hopes on The old
story adapted from the Chinese.
Explaining Chinese tactics.
general is supposed to have said:
First day japanese lost 10
men, Chinese 100. Second day
Japanese lost so, Chinese 1000.
Third day japanese lost 1000,
Chinese 5000, and so on until
there are no more japanese"
THE STAIN line is mostly
l. Russian propaganda. Like
the Metaxas line and so many
others since the Maginot line,
it is non eXistant. All it
amounts to is an adaptation of
certain defenSeS to areas along
the rivers. 1t is not a line of
fortreSSeS like the Maginot line.
or defense in Is mile depth
as advertised.
For example. along the
Dnieper River where the fight
ing has been thick, certain
minor fortified positions have
b been established at points where
the. current is slow enough and
the river narrow enough for
troops TO cross. No Notifications
exist at other points.
The defenSeS consist largely
Of concrete pill boxes with
mouHted machine guns. Behind
these are light and medium ar
tillery emplacements for arched
overhead fire upon the river
crossings. Five and 10 miles
back are heavy artillery, tank
traps. field Notifications mot
permanently, trenches, impro-
viSed bulwarkS.
Still further back are sta
toned mobile reserve troops
ready to be rushed 10 unde-
Tended areas such as marshes
and the wide. swift rive r
stretches in case these are
threatened These reserves have
motor transport for roads, and
horses available 10 move
through fields.
1t seems logical 10 expect the
Germans will penetrate these
scattered defensive zones and
capture Kiev. Leningrad. ano
perhaps even Moscow. Yet if the
Reds could retreat as well as
the British they would never
theless be the favorites 10 win
in the long run.
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