Evening star., 1941-10-26
Russia Faces Possibility of Loss
OF Don Basin Industries This Winter
BY MAI. GEORGE FIELDING
ELIOT.

ELlOl.
The development of fresh German
pressure on the southern front in
Russia and the reported fall Of
Kharkov emphasizes once more the
vital Importance of the new front
which Britain and Russia are FORM
ing for the protect<n of the oil
fields of the Caucasus and the Mid
die East. To this area it is now
reported that Marshal TimoShenko
has been ordered to consult with
the British commander in chief, Sir
Archibald Wavell.
The great requirement OF this
Anglo-Russian position seems likely
to be an adequate flow of munitions
and supplies. AS long as the Rus
slams hold any of their important
war industries in the Don Basin,
they will be able to take care, in
part at any rate, of the needs OF
their armies in this region. But
the fall of Kharkov, following so
closely upon that of Taganrog, sug-
gests very seriously the possibility
that all of the Don Basin industries
may be lost this winter.
In that case the industrial capac-
ity of the Ural region will be taxed
to the utmost to take care of what
ever front the Russians are able to
maintain in Northern and Central
Russia, even when supplemented by
lo-American supplies coming
through the port of Archangel
There will be nothing to spare
from these sources for the southern
front, whether it continues to main
tain its connections with the Rus
sian armies of the center or whether
it is pushed back toward the Cau-
casus Mountains.
Lesson From War.
If there is one lesson that this
war has taught us it is the absolute
necessity of maintaining a steady
and adequate flow of supplies and
replacements for any active fighting
front. This is a war of men and of
machines; without the men the ma
chimes are useless, but without the
machines the men are helpless.
OF course these requirements of
supply, like most other factors in
war, are relative. On the Caucasian
front, if separate front comes to
exist in that area, it will not be
necessary for the Anglo Russian
armies to be munitioned on the same
scale that would be necessary were
they fighting the Germans in France
or even in Western Russia.
They will be required to deal only
with the scale of effort which the
Germans can bring against them
over long and difficult lines of COM
munication. Regardless of what
the Germans may do in the way of
the establishment of advance bases
and depotS, their real source of sup
ply is the industry of Germany it.
self and the farther they get from
Germany. the more difficult their
own supply problem becomes.
AS long as the Russian Black Sea
fleet continues to operate from its
base at Sevastopol, the Germans
cannot use sea transport, but must
depend on bad roads. and on the |
Russian railways to the limited ex-
tent to which the latter are avail
able.
Possible German Move.
One German move which NAV
therefore be expected is a thrust |
into the Crimea with a view of de-
priving the Russians of Sevastopol
This would leave the Russian fleet !
on Batum and the other
ports of the Caucasus which do not |
have adequate equipment for fleet |
bases.
The improvement of the naval
facilities of Batum is therefore one |
phase of the task of |
Caucasian front The |
of that front them
selves offer problems of far greater
The basic task is to maintain |
communications between seaports |
open to the Anglo-American mer-
chant marine and the front to be
defended. These seaports may be
on the Indian Ocean, the Persian |
Gulf or even the Mediterranean.
The main artery of this new sys-
tenn of communications will prob
ably be the Trans-Iranian Railway. |
This now runs from Bandar Shah
pur on the Persian Gulf to Bander
Shah on the Caspian Sea. 1t is a
standard gauge railroad in good |
but lacks adequate rolling |
stock for heavy military traffic.
The port at Bandar Shahpur is of |
limited CAPACITY and requires heavy |