Evening star., 1941-09-11
CIimux in Russia


The Russo German campaign,
pursued with unremitting fury for
nearly three months, seems to be
nearing a climax Both sides are
striving for certain objectives before
the autumn rains compel slack
ening of military operations. The
chief German aim is the capture of
Leningrad, while that of the Rus
slams is the safeguarding of the
approach to Moscow.
Although both German and Rus
sian reports undoubtedly are exag-
gerated, IT is clear that the Germans
and their Finnish allies virtually
have isolated Leningrad and have
it under siege. With a civilian pop
ulation exceeding 100000 and
troops in the besieged area totaling
possibly 100000 more, it is unlikely
that Leningrad can hold out in
definitely. Hunger and the disrup-
ton of public services vital to great
u1SGIOpOllgdll CCtlOCl Sl1Oui0 ooSiA PAo"
duce growing disorganization under
the ceaseless impact of artillery and
aerial bombardment. The spirit of
both troops and civilians seems to
be high, and a desperate resistance
can be expected. Yet ultimate sur
render appears certain in the alb
sence of successful counterattacks
by relieving Russian armies in this
region. And of such an offensive
there appears no immediate sign.
A week or so ago, Moscow dispatches
spoke of a drive we'll south of Lenin-
grad on the front from Staraya
Russa to Kholm, designed to break
the Germans main line of commu-
nication through Pskov, but nothing
more has been heard of it, so it may
be presumed to have failed.
The fall of Leningrad would de-
stroy Russia's northern army and its
Baltic fleet, thus giving Germany
complete command of the Baltic Sea
and a safe water route for troops
and supplies. 1t would likewise
enable the great German armies
now fighting for Leningrad to drive
southeastward at Moscow along the
excellent rail and highway connec-
tions between the two chief cities
of the Soviet Union. That drive
naturally would be synchronized with
a new effort by the German forces
stalled for weeks at Vyazma, about
halfway between Smolensk and the
Soviet capital.
It is doubtless to forestall such a
combination that the Russians have
launched their great offensive In
the south-central sector, south of the
Germans Smolensk salient. In that
sector, stretching some 200 miles
from Rogachev and Gomel to Kiev,
the Russians have kept their hold
on the fortified belt of territory
sometimes called the Stain Line.
The Germans have not dared to con-
centrate too heavily in this sector,
because Immediately behind their
front lie the Pripet Marshes, into
which a Russian offensive might
drive them with disastrous results.
With their western flank thus Sc
cure, the Russians are driving north
ward, seeking to cut in behind Smol-
ensk, pinch off the great German
salient toward Moscow, and thus
relieve pressure upon Moscow before
winter sets in. This Russian drive
seems to be making real progress,
though it must still go some distance
before the German hold on Smolensk
is genuinely endangered. Except in
certain vital areas, the mere capture
of territory means little on this ex-
tensive and relatively fluid front.
Almost three months of fighting
with unprecedented losses are OBJ
viously straining both sides. The
wholesale waste of man power and
equipment has compelled Germans
and Russians alike to throw in much
of their strategic reserves. Russian
man power exceeds German. The
Russian problem is replacement Of
materiel That is what Stain clearly
referred to in his recent statement
to Sir Stafford Cripps, the British
Ambassador to Moscow, when he
said the situation was grave and the
need of supplies from abroad was
acute. And that is problem which
will be tackled by the American
and British experts due in Moscow
soon.