Evening star., 1942-01-05
Clever Strategy Used
By Russian Forces
In Selling kaIuga

Army Advances IhTou9h
Area Undefended Because
OF Intense Weather
BY A. T. STEELE,
roreisn Correspondent Of The Star ant
chicaso Daily News.
KUIBYSHEV, Jan. 5.-A clever bi
of military strategy in last week!
fighting on the central front re-wor
for the Russian Army the importan
railway city Of Kaluga, 1t has beer
disclosed here.
The Soviets chose as their line o.
approach an almost roadless reglor
which the Germans considered I'm
passable because of the heavy WIN
ter weather and which, therefore
was inadequately defended.
The Red Army began its advance
and before the Nazis realized wha1
was happening, the drive was vel
under way.
A newly developed Russian anti
tank airplane, heavily armored ano
able to fire armor- piercing shells OF
a. small caliber, has contributed to the
Soviet successes In the Moscow bat
tie according to Russian reports.
Set Fire to Villages.
Whenever they have time, the
Germans set fire to villages they are
about to abandon in order to deprive
the Russian troops of winter shelter
One of the best ways to check up or
the speed of the German withdrawal
from any given area is by the extent
OF the fire damage.
In places where the Nazis have
been surprised by a flank attack
and forced to retire hurriedly. the
damage is often neglible. In many
cases. as your correspondent noted
on a recent trip to the front, whole
villages have been reduced to ashes
The problem of bllleting troops IN
such cases is indeed a difncult one
The winter weather is gradually
becoming more severe and the
change is welcomed by the Russians
who realize that they are much
better prepared for worse weather
than their German opponents. The
bad weather likewise enhances the
Germans problem of extricating
mechanical equipment from high
ways and railways threatened by
Russian pincer operations.
The Red Army's conquests OF the
last week raise hopes for an early
falling back of the whole central
sector of the German front oppo-
site Moscow. BY recapturing Kalu-
"a, Naro Fominsk and Maloyarosla-
vets, the Russians have deprived the
enemy of the three main pegs to
which the southern end Of that i'm
portant sector was anchored.
Intense Pressure.
Previously the Red Army had
knocked the biggest enemy group
from the northern flank of this 150-
mile battle line. by taking Kalinin
and Volokolamsk. Now, from new
ly captured bases, the Russians ap-
pear to be exerting intense pressure
from the north and south on the
rear Of the German forces massed
around and behind Mozhaisk on
the Smolensk- Moscow highway-the
main spearhead Of Hitler's ahortive
offensive against the Soviet capital.
1t Is an encirclement more ambi-
tious than some of those formerly
attempted by the Germans.
Withdrawing from Mozhaisk.
Mozhaisk is about 90 miles west
of Moscow. For some days it has
been reported that under threat OF
development the Germans have
been Withdrawing from Mozhaisk
toward new lines prepared at
Gzhatsk. 30 miles farther back. But
the Russians may try to close the
points of their two-pronged opera
ton still deeper into the Nazi rear
outside Vyazma, 120 miles
west of Moscow.
Neither Mozhaisk nor Gzhatsk is
big enough to provide suitable win
ter quarters for any large German
force and even Vyazma boasts a
population of only about $4,000. The
Germans may have decided on a
line where they intend to make
their winter stand, but stopping a
retreat is much more difficult than
starting it especially when weather
conditions are as severe and pur-
suit as rapid as in this one. Already
it is evident that the Germans in
several places have been forced
back farther than they planned.
Their desperate but unsuccessful
efforts to recapture Kaluga demon
strated their desire to hold that
city.
Russian tanks and airplanes have
borne the brunt of the offensive
where it was possible to use them
but an enormously important role
has been played by mobile detach-
ments of cavalry, ski troops and
automatic riflemen dispatched far
into the German lines to make sur
prise raids on villages and lines OF
communications in towns many
kilometers behind the front.
Night Cavalry Raids.
Typical of these attacks are the
cavalry raids usually made at night.
Starting at sundown to escape
enemy aerial observation, the horse
men sneak up within striking dis
tance of inhabited points as deep
as 10 or Is miles in the German
rear. Then the troops. dismount
deploy and launch surprise at
tack on foot. They usually are
armed with automatic rifles and
often are equipped with anti-tank
guns and other anti-tank weapons
Sometimes their purpose is merely
to kill, destroy, sow confusion and
withdraw before dawn. On other
occasions their object is to capture
q town and hold it pending the
arrival of their main forces.
The capture of Kaluga was ac-
complished by striking group COM
posed Of infantry, cavalry, artillery
and some tanks, which deliberately
chose a line Of approach through
an almost roadless region which
the Germans had considered i'm
passable and which was, therefore
inadequately defended. Before the
NaziS realized what was happening