Evening star., 1941-08-21
Ukruine and Beyond

Ukraine and Beyond
Even Moscow tacitly comedies that
the battle for the Western Ukraine
has been won by the Germans and
their allies. The capture of Niko-
loev has hopelessly isolated the
large Russian forces still defending
Odessa, while the German Armies
sweep steadily eastward, harassing
the retreating Russians in their race
to cross the river Dnieper. Only at
the extreme bulge of the rivers east
ward bend, at the great hydroelectric
plant of Dniepropetrovsk-now re-
ported blown up by the retreating
forces-do the Russians appear to be
making a stubborn stand.
In itself, this conquest of the
Western Ukraine is major triumph
for the Wehrmacht. When the Ger
man drive into the Ukraine south of
Kiev began a fortnight ago, Marshal
Budenny, generalissimo of the Soviet
southern armies, had his choice of
beating a strategic retreat or stand
ing his ground. Like the dashing
cavalryman that he is, Budenny
elected to fight it out. His position
was a strong one, with his right
flank covered by the fortress area
of Kiev and his left flank resting
on the massive defenSeS along the
Dniester River clear to the Black Sea.
The Germans could attack effectively
only from the northwest along
a frontage of about $50 miles Con-
Sidering the vast numbers of men
and quantities of equipment at
Budenny's disposal, he might hope
to hold the Germans here as they
had been held on the Smolensk front,
where the defensive situation was
less favorable from the Russian
point of view. But within a week
the German onslaught proved ire
Sistible, Budenny'S forces were badly
split and he was compelled to save
his right and center, leaving the left
wing to its fate. 1t is doubtful that
these troops, in and around Odessa,
can get away by sea under the merci-
less hammering of the Luftwaffe.
which seems to have gained local
command of the air.
With the Western Ukraine vir-
tually lost, the hext question is
whether the Russians can maintain
a new defense line along the Dnieper.
In it's southern reaches near the
Black Sea, the river is formidable
barrier, nearly a mile wide. But
farther north it narrowS consider
ably, and the Germans have shown
extraordinary aptitude for river
crossing. The answer will depend
in large part on how badly Budennys
armies have been mauled, and what
strategic reserves he may have east
of the Dnieper to throw into the
defense.
Should the Germans force the line
of the Dnieper. no other natural bar
rier exists until the line of the Don,
a river not quite as large as the
Dnieper and with similar eastward
bend. From the extreme bend of the
Don it is only about fifty miles to
the Volga, largest of all the Russian
rivers. The Germans would strike
the Volga in it's lower reaches on its
way to the Caspian Sea. Many mill
tary commentators believe that the
Germans plan to use the Volga as
their eastern defense line for the
coming winter, concentrating south
ward for a campaign toward the
Caucasus and the precious oil fields
of Baku. Winter campaigning in
these regions should be relatively
easy. The winters are mild and the
rainfall light, with little snow except
in the Caucasus Mountains. The
Germans would thus escape the
grave handicaps of mud, snow and
intense cold which they face in Gen.
tral and Northern Russia.
However, the Caucasus Mountains
are a formidable barrier, stretching
almost unbroken from the Black to
the Caspian Sea- And 1t is more
than likely that the Russians would
be re-enforced here by British
Armies striking up through Persia to
safeguard the oilfields which, for the
Germans, are the supreme prize.
The Wehrmacht thus has its work
cut out for it. The Ukrainian victory
is q beginning. NOT the end