Evening star., 1941-07-06
Bv MAI. GEORGE FIELDING
ELIOT.

ELIOT.
One of the greatest battles OF his
torv is now in full progress along
and inside the old western frontier
of Soviet Russia. On a front OF
almost 1000 miles. the invading Ger
mans. with their Finnish and Ru-
manian allies, are locked in struggle
with what appear to be at last the
main armies of the Soviet Union.
The battle is hardly one OF con-
tinuouS lines; rather it is hght III
great depths. especially IN the most
important battle zone, that OF White
Russia. It is in great part an area
rather than a linear battle, and il
involves for the first time in modern
warfare very large forces OF armored
troops on both sides, engaged IN
constant attack and cOunter-attacK
while infantry units strive to con-
sondate and exploit the gains OF the
armored forces or to cover and sup
port their movements.
In such a battle Of confusion, the
Germans have certain very great
advantages:
1p Air superiority, which enables
their commanders to keep track OF
what is going on better than the
puesian commanders can, ana 10
intervene with air-borne fire-poWer
il the split seconds Of opportunity
which such. a battle affords ana
which must be seized upon and eX-
plotted without delay.
2. The excellent and thoroughly
e:ecentralized German system OF
accommodation between units,
which is never of more value than
in lust such circustances as now
exists. There is some evidence that
the Russians have nothing TO COM
care with the Germans excellence
In this respect.
3. Superiority in staff work both
for operations and for supply and
administra ton, to which the eX-
perience of Norway, France, and the
Balkans greatly contributes.
Advances of Little Consequence.
Nevertheless, having said so
much. it is necessary to point out
that after two weeks the Germans
have done no more than drive the
Russians out of the territories
ACQUIRED by the Soviet Union since
the beginning of the present war
Lithuania. Latvia, Eastern Poland
and in part Bessarabia-and to
make one considerable penetration
of Russia territory-the drive in
the White Russian sector.
Territorially these advances are
of no great consequence; the real
question is the amount of damage
actually done to Russian fighting
power, for as previously pointed
out it must be kept in mind that
the German object is to destroy the
Russian armed forces.
That the Germans have been
slowed up to a degree which they
did not expect was clear last week;
1t is even clearer now. Careful
study of the German communl-
oues-even the very fact that their
wording has been taken over by
Hitler himself-leaves little doubt
on this point. The really interest
ing questions, however, which re-
main in doubt and which may be
decisive of immediate results, are
these
% Have the Germans actually
succeeded in cutting off, surround
ing and destroying large parts OF the
Russian Army in the advanced areas
they have already occupied or pene-
trated? There are some hints that
their claims in this respect have
been exaggerated, and that the
"battle of destruction, of world his
torical Importance, even greater
than Tannenberg, which is claimed
to have taken place in the Blalystok
area, amounted to little more than
the overwhelming of Russian from
tier guard elements and cavalry
supported by light armored units.
1t seems difficult to suppose that
the Russians, whose military journal
Red Star has published such
careful studies of the campaign in
Poland and has dWelt so strongly
on the Polish error in Stationing toe