Evening star., 1941-08-24

Red Square, MoscoD. A. P. Photo.
three remain unconquered, the Nazis
have explained that they never meant
to bhtzkrieg Russia in the first place
and that in the second the very term
is knavish invention of unscrupulous
Britons.
Soviet communicates have been filled
with alleged examples of successful re-
sistance to German mechanical tactics.
Without accepting the accounts as gos-
pei, 1t is possible to draw from them
some idea of the strategic principles by
means Of which the Russian generals
hope to prolong the campaign at least
until winter. They combine scientific in
novations with an ingenious adaptation
of the Russian peasants traditional skill
as a sniper and franc-tireur.
The German device of darting long,
swift stiletto of armored cars into the
enemys vitals has the weakness of ex-
posing extensive flanks to counterattack,
and of advancing with such lightning
speed that a gap may be left between
the dagger and its supporting forces.
The Russians appear to have attempted,
probably with success in many cases,
scolumn. or else cut it on at the rear
from supplies and reinforcement. The
wea pons principally used appear to have
been tanks and automotive artillery. An
instance is related of Nazi armored
division which exhausted its gasoline.
The tanks were buried, with only the
turrets emerging as individual fortresses.
Russian artilerymen blasted them, the
story is one by one.
Battle On, EncircIed.
German spokesmen have accused the
Russians of fighting unfairly, because
they continued to give battle when
enveloped by whorls of tank armies in
steau of surrendering at once, as the
French did. Soviet officers and men
we're particularly trained to keep their
heads" when they found themselves thus
encircled and to make full use of the
self-sufficient equipment supplied them,
either for effecting a break-through or
for standing siege. There is a story of
one Russian unit which maintained it
self for 80 days behind the German lines
and then rejofhed the main army.
The Russian peasant for centuries has
been adept at guerrilla warfare, and
Napoleon himself could bear witness to
the destructive genius of predatory bands
OF Muscovite irregulars. The Soviet staff
appears to have adapted this national
instinct by training divisions of regulars
for partisan activity, in the way of sharp
shooting, hit-and-run raids and the like.
The Russian also has had centuries of
practice in the "scorched-earth" policy
proclaimed at the start of the war by
Dictator Stain. He feels little of the
Western Europeans scruples against de-
stroying his own bridges, highways, cities
and homes.
Champions of the new Russian Army
declare that previous to the current war,
its mettle was written into the record
for all to read. The first was an engage
ment on the Siberian border which the
Japanese call Changkufeng Hill and the
Russians Lake Hassan. It was a small
operation, with tens of thousands of men
instead of millions But the japanese
had rehearsed it for months, had the
advantage of surprise and sent in their
best in the way of specially trained
troops and modern weapons. Units of
the 1st Detached Red Banner Army
stormed the Japanese positions on Au-
gust 6, 1888. and swept them clear be-
tween pm. and nightfan. Since then
the emperor's army has refrained from
stirring finger against Soviet troops
In the Far East.
Won in Frontal Attack.
The Russo Finnish war wrecked the
prestige of the Russian Army in every
military intelligence ofice in the world,
including probably that of Germany. The
heroic resistance of the Firms and natu-
raj sympathy for small boy thrashed
by a giant are held to have obscured the
true military lesson of the conflict. This
was that Soviet troops, for the first and
only time in the present crisis, broke
through q modern fortified line that
bearing the name of Marshal Manner
hein-by means of direct frontal attack.
1t is not generally known, though both
Germany and Japan have complained
of it, that the peoples commissariat Of
the navy possesses the largest submarine
feet in the world. 1t is said. to consist
of ITO undersea boats, with 80 more
under construction. About so of them,
according to japanese protests, are, ssa-
toned at vladiyostok.. The navy did
not become q separate establishment
until 1887, when an ambitious program
of shipbuildins was launched.