Evening star., 1941-08-24
BY MAJ. GEORGE FIELDING
ELIOT.

Evidence appears to be accumu-
lating that Soviet Marshal Bud
yenny has made good his retreat to
the Dnieper line with the bulk of
his. forces. Every indication from
the Ukraine front is Of stubborn
rear-guard actions covering the
crossing OF the river by troops and
transport, and local counterattacks
seem as usual to feature the Rus
sian operations.
The speed OF movement OF the
German troops hints at armored re-
Inducements for Won Rundstedt
commander of the southern Ger
man army group; it is quite likely
that some German armored units
were taken out of the line to reflt
and reorganize after the heavy
fighting in the Smolensk area and
may now be ready for renewed
service. But it is almost equally
clear that these armored troops are
in insufficient force to drive in the
Russian rear guards, for the Ger
mans continue to talk OF Russian
"bridgeheads" on the west bank of
the Dneiper. In other words, the
Germans have once more been un-
able to follow up an armored sue
cess quickly enough with other
troops and have in all probability
forfeited the best fruits OF victory
in consequence.
Whether Marshal Budyenny has
flooded the Lower Dnieper by blast
ing the great dam at Dnieprope-
trovsk is uncertain; some engineers
think he would gain little by doing
so. for the Lower Dnieper, with its
marshes and diverse channels, is
a formidable military obstacle any
way. while the river above the dam
would become less of barrier with
the dam gone. Probably a greater
object would be to prevent the Ger
mans from using the power from
the dam. if they captured it, to
operate the industrial and mining
installations at Krivoi Rog and in
other parts of the Western Ukraine.
CnlI01Sn fdDTiCdtiOH.
At anv rate, the German story
that Budyenny tried to blow up the
dam and failed. and cannot repeat
the attempt because the dam is now
under German artillery fire, is an
example of the sort of childish
fabrication to which the German
propaganda Office seems to be re-
duced in its endeavor to make head
lines and conceal facts: The mere
fact of being within reach Of long
range ARTILLERY would not, of course.
prevent determined and well-trained
engineer troops from carrying out
the demolishment of the great struc-
lures if Budyenny wished it to be.
The real threat to Budyennys
armies may perhaps be developing
further north, where the Germans
are reported to have taken the rail
and road center of Gomel. Gomel
lies east of the Dnieper, on the
river Sol ian aff1uent of the Dnie-
per-. An east-west and a north
south railway line cross here, and
through the town passes one OF
the few paved highways of Russia,
the great Leningrad-Kiev road.
Gomel is near the point where the
Russian Army group of the center
(Tomoshenko) makes contact with
the army group of the south
(Budyenny); such a junction is al
ways a sensitive point to attack.
Might Break Through.
Hence it is possible that q heavy
German attack here might break
through and sweep round to the
south, striking at the right flank
and rear of Budyenny's new position
along and behind the Dnieper There
are hints that strong armored REIN
forcements have been put in at this
point-perhaps the reason why there
are not more armored troops farther
south. 1t should, however, be noted
that there has been a good deal of
rain lately, and that the terrain
southeast and south of Gomel is
pretty we'll interspersed with patches
of marshland. Hence, it is possible
that German operations from Gomel
may turn northeast in an endeavor
to straighten out the German line
between Gomel and Smolensk.
Meanwhile, north of Smolensk. a
Russian counterattack under Gen.
Koneff appears to be making some