Evening star., 1941-10-27
Khurkov Falls

NnOIkOV TOIIS
Berlins jubilant announcement Of
the capture of Kharkov. industrial
metropolis of Southern Russia, is in
itself major event. Although the
Soviet government has not ad-
mitted the loss, the probabilities
are the Nazi claim is true,
since the German high command
is not given to making a definite
claim to an important territorial
gain which has not been confirmed.
The extent of this German victory
is enhanced by the further claim to
the key railroad junction of Biel-
gorod, some fifty miles north of
Kharkov, on the trunk line to
Moscow.
Kharkov, situated in the heart of
the highly industrialized region of
the Donets Basin, is known as the
Russian Pittsburgh. With its 100000
population, twelve-story buildings
and bustling heavy industry, Kharkov
has the appearance Of an American
city.
The critical situation in Southern
Russia is enhanced by the German
drive further to the southwark along
the shores of the Sea of Azov, which
already has captured a second indus
trial network of cities and is now
almost at the gates of Roetov-on-
Don. Rostov has multiple impor-
tance. 1t is the seaport for the en-
tire Don and DonetS Basins. 1t is
the junction for all the railroads
leading from the Caucasus, to which
it is the natural gateway Finally, it
is the distributing point for the pipe
line which runs up from the Cau-
casuS oil fields. 1t should be remem-
bered that those fields, at Grozhny
and Maikop, lie north of the Caucasus
Mountains and could be reached by
the Germans by drive across open
country which extends from the Don
River to both the Caucasus Noun
tains and the lower Volga with it's
key port of Astrakhan on the Caspian
Sea. The Germans would not need
to force the mountain passes and
storm Baku in order to get oil. Fur
thermore, the capture of Astrakhan,
by closing navigation on the Volga
River, would close the last feasible
route into European Russia for Baku
oil and war materials from Britain
and Russia shipped via Iran. All
this indicates the tremendous stakes
involved in the apparently losing
fight now being waged by Russia's
shattered armies on the southern
front.
The resumption of the German
drive on Moscow renders unlikely
the immediate sending of aid from
the central front to the southwark.
1t indicates the tremendous power
of the German war machine and
the determination of the German
high command to win decision be-
fore winter settles down on the cam
paign Despite recent gales and
SHOWS, real winter from Moscow
southwark is several weeks away.
During the first half of November
there is usually spell of mild
weather akin to our Indian summer.
Indeed, latest reports speak of thaWs
succeeding the recent sharp freezes.
Of course, alternate freezes and
thaWs are a serious handicap to mill
tary operations and unqueStionably
will tend to slow down German ad-
vances somewhat. Nevertheless, the
Wehrmacht appears to be advancing
steadily despite all natural handi-
caps The only thing that will really
stop the Germans is Russian resist
ance. That resistance is still strong
and dogged. But the Russian armies
today are on the defensive every
where. They have not been able
to stage great counterattacks like
those launched in the Smolensk and
Bryansk sectors some weeks ago. The
Germans retain the initiative, and
are now so close to the key objectives
that only a Russian strategic coun-
teroffensive can be expected to stop
them from reaching those goals.