Imperial Valley press., 1941-10-29
To-Day S
War Moves
BY Louis F. keemle
of the United Press
War Desk

The renewed drive on the Crimea
suggests another German pince's
move. this time directed at the Cau-
casian oil fields.
The northern arm is the drive To-
wards RoStov and the River Don.
Despite the weather, it seems to be
making progress in the face OF fierce
Russian resistance and the British
fear the fall Of RostoV may be near.
The latter is the turning point south
to the oil fields, 200 miles away.
Presumably the Germans would
thrust from there in two directions
south towards KraSnodar, the OIL
center, and east towards Astrakhan
on the Caspian. to cut off the Cau-
Casus contact with the rest of Rus
Sia
BOTTLENECK
The southern arm would be across
the Crimean peninsula towards the
strait Of Yenikale, which connects
the sea of Azov with the Black sea.
The strait is only four miles across
from the heart of the Caucasus.
Crossing it would put the Germans
within about 100 miles of KraSno-
dar.
The Germans claimed Wednesday
that the Russian defense lines on
The narrow Perekop isthmus which
connects the Crimea with the main
land have been broken and the Rus
slams are retreating However, the
same claim was made six weeks ago
when The Crimea first was threat
encd.
The peninsula is a prize for three
reaSOnS-itS accessibility to the Cau
caSuS: its important naval base OF
SebaStCpo!, and the Kerch iron ore
deposits and metallurgical plants at
the eastern end Loss of the latter
would be another industrial blow
to Russia.
Odessa having fallen, Sebastopol
is RuSSiaS remaining Black sea
naval base. It's loss would beacon
siderable handicap to the Russian
fleet, which is the sole barrier to
any German sea-borne invasion
aimed at the Near East. Sebastopol
is strongly fortified. 1t was the
scene of the historic siege of 1854
when it took the British, French
and Turkish allies II months to re-
duc2 it.
NO BARRIER
Sebaslopol lies south of the noun
tain l>nge which divides the pen
insula. Even if it held out TO-.
months. 1t would be no barrier to
u German drive north of the range
through KirsCh TO the Caucasian
mainland
If the German pincers movement
succeeded, its object would be to
invest the oil fields and establish
grip OH the Caucasus north u
the mountain range which runs from
the Black sea to the Caspian.
This prospect raises the question
Of what Britain may do. The British
are naturally deeply concerned over
keeping the oil fields out of German
hands, They are also concerned over
preventing the Germans from estab-
fishing themselves SO perilously close
to the Near East and the road to
India.
The Germans would have the bar
rier OF the Caucasus mountains to
overcome. They might attempt a
drive along the coastal railroads
to enlightenment by sea.
1t has been reported persiStentiy
in recent days that Gen. Sir Archi-
bald Wavcll, commander of the
Indian armE. is prepared to throw
his forces alongside the Russians
in the defense of the Caucasus.
Gen. Wavel has close to 100000
men under his command.
The best stand, from the British
point OF defending the east, would
be south of the mountains. Gen.
Wavell was reported to have been in
TifliS recently, discussing strategy
with the Russians. However, if il
is necessary to save the oil fields,
British eXpeditionary force might
fight with the Russians beyond The
mountains.