Evening star., 1941-08-30
Russians Confident
Superior Man Power
will Be Decisive
Red Officer Describes
Tuctics Of Defeating
Tonk- LED BIifzkrie9
BY A. +. STEELE,
PorsiGn Correspondent Of The Star anc
Chicago Daily New.

Chicago Daily News.
MOSCOW, Aug. 30.-How Russia
Is making maximum utilization of
her manpower to combat the Ger
man blitz tactics is described by Col
s. Gurov of the Red Army in an
Illuminating article on Soviet tactics
published here.
THE infantry is still the backbone
of a modern army" writes Col
Guroy. who comes to the conclusion
that Russia's superiority in human
resources will be decisive In the end
Here Is Col. Gurov's description
of a typical German attack against
the Russian lines:
First to appear Is . reconnoiter-
ing party of two or three tanks &C
companied by motorcycles. They
approach our lines at high speed,
firing at random. The purpose Of
this maneuver is to determine the
strength Of our artillery and the
location OF defended points,
After creating some noise and
excitement, they disappear, while
our troops, meanwhile. have re-
manned silent in order not to reveal
their positions. Then the enemy
opens intense artillery fire,
Psychological Attack.
simultaneously the German air
force begins to bomb heavily. The
firing Is more or less indiscriminate,
but there is much noise The object,
OF course, is to create q psycholog-
ical effect. This is the theatrical
overture to an actual attack.
Then the attack begins. with
tanks and motorcycles leading the
way"
Col. Gurov points out that the
Germans usually do not start an at
tack on a wide front, but concen-
trste on isolated sectors, trying to
flnd q weak spot through which
mechanical units can drive q wedge
When the hole is found. the ar
mored units plunge ahead regard
less of their flanks and without
halting to consolidate captured ter
ritory. Into the corridor 50 formed
pours the infantry and artillery In
several waves.
The aim of the whole operation is
to disorganize the defending force
and give the illusion of encircle-
ment to isolated groups and, through
panic and confusion in the rear TO
force a general retreat As the
wedge widens. the enemy throws
more and more forces into the
gap. Then he tries to develop his
success on the f1anks.
These tactics" says Col. Gurov,
were successful in France and
Poland but the Red Army learned
to combat them. The motor
mechanical vanguard usually leaves
the infantry far behind so that
often 1t is a simple matter to cut
off the infantry from the mobile
unit and destroy the infantry.
Three Necessary Conditions.
I'm order to achieve destruction
OF the infantry and iquidate mobile
advance units, three conditions are
necessary:
1.-THE walls Of the corridor opened
by the Germans must be firm and
steady so that they can reorganize
and turn the front toward the
threatened flank and the rear.
=. Troops In the immediate rear
must offer powerful resistance to
mobile groups and close in upon
them.
3. 1t is necessary to have power
ful mobile reserves which, in CO.
operation with the air force, may be
brought up to create a barrier In
the corridor and so achieve destruc-
ton Of enemy mobile groups"
According to Col. Gurov, infiam-
mable liquids, bundles of grenades,
ambushes in bitches and anti-tank
artillery are being effectively en-
ployed against the German mobile
forces.
often our troops let tanks pass
and then counterattack with bay
onets," he continues Russian bayo-
net charges are dreaded by German
infantry. 1t is because of these tao
tics that Hitler's plans for blitz-
krieg have miscarried."
tCopyright, 1871. by chicaso Daily Nevs)