Evening star., 1942-12-01
Newest Soviet Blows
May Be Only Start Of
Big Winter Drive
Offensive in North Would
Also Seriously Endoneer
Nozis Fighting in South
By CARL c. CRANMER.

BY CARL c. CRANMER.
The real Russian winter Of
tensive may not have started vet
The blows dealt the Germans
IN the Stalingrad salient and
around Velikie Luki and Rzhev
west and northwest of Moscow
may be only the preliminary
skirmishes.
A mint OF this was given yesterday
IN a Swiss correspondents report
from Berlin. He said German
reconnaissance had discovered vast
numbers" of Soviet troops on the
move in the most important" sec
tor OF the entire Russian front-the
front northwest of Moscow.
Ihe Germans in the Don basin
and the Caucasus are like a man
who has dug deep slanting ditch
and left an overhanging embank-
ment over his head.
The "embankment," from Stalin-
grad northward, may cave in on
them this winter. The action around
Stallngrad and Velikie Luki may
nave been only the first clods
crumbling out of the wall.
1t seems probable that the great
est weight of the Russian Army is
concentrated in the "embankment"
northwest of Moscow.
Supplies Sent to Northern Front.
Throughout the summer, when the
German offensive seemed to be put
ting the Soviet Union in a critical
situation by its drive toward Stalin-
grad and into the Caucasus. the
Russians kept pecking away at the
German lines northwest of Moscow
Usually it was the Germans who
mentioned these attacks, which. ac-
cordlng to the Germans, always
were repulsed. Very often, it was
evident, these were very heavy at
tacks.
Throughout the long summer, too
when the days were longest in the
Arctic, the British and Americans
drove through their sea conveys at
heaVy cost to get supplies and ma
terlals into the Northern Russian
front-while the heaviest fighting
was going on in the south.
Prime Minister Churchill in his
Sunday speech said Premier Stain
had disclosed to him the plans for
the Russian offensive by drawing
an arrow on a map. But Mr..
Churchill carefully refrained from
saying where the arrow pointed.
1t seems evident, now. that Stains
counteroffensive strategy Is based
not on an east west, Moscow-to-
Berlin line, but in a southerly di-
Tection.
Nazi Rail Lines Endangered.
II the Russian front is viewed as
8 whole 1t is observed that it slants
IN a southeasterly direction from
Leningrad to Stalingrad.
So when the SHOWS of December
are deep and frozen and the
marshes, river bottoms and lakes
west and northwest of Moscow are
turned to ice, we may see the Red
Army swinging like barn door
hinged at Moscow or below and
Slamping southWeStward across Hit
ler's Vtal lines of communications.
Already the Russians are talking
OF their ski-shod planes, their
sledge-mounted artillery and their
motor sleighs for the winter cam
paign.
The area around Velikie Luki. 26O
miles west of Moscow, may be the
soft spot" that they have found in
their preliminary probing.
From there they can strike in two
directions at vital rail lines held by
the Germans.
Would Expose Southern Forces.
Just west OF Velikie Luki they ap-
parently are within 10 miles of the
most direct German line to Lenin-
grad, that from Warsaw. Only one
other main line to Leningrad would
be left to the Germans. that which
runs from Berlin by way of Riga
Latvia.
A thrust 1870 miles south from We
LIKE Luki would not only cut in be-
hind SmolenSk but would also sever
the two main lines that the Ger
mans use to feed their central front,
the one from Riga to Smolensk, and
the one from Warsaw and Mlnsk to
Smolensk.
The next main lines of communi-
cations in the hands of the Germans
are far to the south, those running
below the PinSk Marshes to Kiev and
Odessa in the Ukraine
Cutting of the three main lines
within 130-mile range of Velikie
Luki would appear to imperil the
German position at Leningrad and
the Baltic state and the whole north
and central sectors.
Hitler's forces in the south then
would be dangerously exposed on
their northern flank, with only long
and uncertain lines of communica-
ton at their rear.