Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-11-11
BY LIEUT.. GEN. SIR DOUGLAS
BROWNRIGG, X. G. b., ID. s. o.

'WfNtth F&Ptt'1tt INV A"tWn ,tfNttSf
7 ONDON. Nov. lit is now
more than a month since
Hitler launched the great at
tack on Moscow, which he hoped
would give him the prize which
o was denied Napoleon.
No decisive success has come
to the Germans during the past
week except in the extreme
south, where the Russians were
forced 10 abandon their defenses
on the Perikop Isthmus. The
forcing of this isthmus has
opened up new strategic posi-
Utilities.
The Crimea is important to
the German plan for two main
reasons, Sevastopol and Kerch.
Sevastopol is the main base of
the Russian fleet in the Black
Sea. II it were invaded, it OBJ
viously could no longer be used
for this purpose, and the fleet
would be thrown back on the
two remaining bases-Novoros
sisk and Batum.
HERE lies the Importance
of Kerch. With Kerch in
the hands of the Germans, the
luftwaffe could make Novoros-
sisk almost untenable as naval
base, and the feet would be
driven back to its last refuge
Batum.
Further. from Kerch, Ger
man parachutists would have an
excellent chance of making a
bridgehead on the eastern shores
of the Kerch Strait. which would
enable air and sea-borne troops
to follow. as they did in Crete.
--latest dispatches from the
front indicate the Nazi forces
are concentrating pressure on
the kerch Peninsula.)
Once the eastern shores of the
strait were occupied, any force
at the left of the main Russian
line at Rostov would be out
thanked. Worse still, there would
be direct and dangerous
threat to the only line of rail-
way which can bring British
and American aid to Russia
through Iran.
IT is true that the port Of
L Astrakan would still be open.
but every cargo would be COM
PEELED TO cross the Caspian Sea
with the inevitable delay caused
by extra handling.
II will thus be seen that the
occupation of the Crimea is no
mere eccentric enterprise: il is
a step towards a definite OBJ
jective. which is the destruction,
or at least naturalization of the
Russian Black Sea feet.
Then the Germans could ride
freely on the waters of the
Black Sea. which would enable
them to land an expedition at
Batum, thus avoiding the de-
Tended passes in the Caucasus
and securing for themselves the
use of the railway. road II and
pipeline from Batum TO Baku.
The prize is great. but COM
mand of the Black Sea is the
prerequisite.
Meanwhile. the Turkish presi-
dent has made il perfectly clear
that the Turks will fight rather
than submit to any violation of
their territory.
While Turkish neutrality is
worth much to Hitler as long
as things go well for him in the
Crimea and on the Black Sea.
he knows that if things went i'll
he could secure land route to
his goal across Anatolia only
by a major campaign against
Turkey. which he would be i'm
likely TO relish at this season
of the year.
TliE war is so spread over the
4 world that there is danger
OF looking at different bits with
out relating them to each other.
We must not forget that as Win
ter descends on Russia good
campaigning weather is starting
in North Africa. And we must
also bear in mind that the fight
ing on each and every front fits
into the mosaic of Hitler's plan
for domination of the world.
In Europe. the Russians have
tied up troops and aircraft which
Hitler hoped TO have available
for his drive TO the Caucasus
beyond. In the Mediterranean
Admiral Cunningham's vigilance
has ensured that the Germans
and Italians on the northern
coast of Africa are weaker in
numbers and less well equipped
than they had reokoned to be.
Thus each end of Hitler's pin
GERS has been considerably
weakened. And this weakening
diminishes his chances of sue
cess and enhances the prospects
of a counterblow For this we
have to thank the soldiers Of
Russia, the sailors of Britain and
the airmen Of both.