Evening star., 1943-08-20
Reds Seen Driving
Toward New Line
By Maj. George Fielding Eliot.

The news contained in the German and
Russian communiques of Wednesday sug-
| gests very strongly that the Russians are
| now launching a major offensive de-
signed to cut off the whole of the Ger
man army holding the Donets and Mus
River fronts-that is, the whole southern
sector of the German line, stretching
from Kharkov southeastward down to
| the Sea of Azov.
The Russians announce the preaching
of the Donets River defense at Zmiev,
on what seems to be a 20 or 25-mile
| front. This puts the Russians across
the Donets, with only open country be-
tween them and the railway junction
| of Merefa, Is miles away. At Merefa,
which is perhaps eight miles southwest
of Kharkov, the two railway lines which
are the only German lines now open
into Kharkov, join.
These are the Acknowledgements
| rovsk and the eKharkov-Lozovaya-C Crimea
| railways. The former would be cut by
Russian drive straight west from Zmiev
for 10 miles: both would be cut by
the capture of Merefa. If that happens,
Kharkov is completely cut off.
But the successful forcing of the
Donets at Zmiev is not an isolated oc-
currence. 1t comes at time when the
Germans have, for three days, been re-
porting heavy fighting at Izyum, also
on the Donets about so miles southeast of
Zmiev. Here the Russians have held a
strong bridgehead on the right bank
OF the river ever since their offensive
of last winter.
The Russians have made little mention
OF this area. which may mean that they
are not gaining ground there; but a
holding attack at Izyum would be very
useful operation to undertake in connec-
tion with major effort at Zmiev.
Two other Russian gains are to be
noted-a slight advance toward Poltava,
southwest of Kharkov, and considerable
gain near the railway center of Sunni,
northwest Of Kharkov, where the Rus
slams are now fairly at the outskirts Of
the town.
The advance on Poltava may be a
holding operation too, but may be re-
important German center. The thrust
at Sunni protects the flank of the move
on Poltava, and has as its immediate
object the gaining Of another railway
line for Russian supply and reinforce
ment.
But, to return to the Zmiev thrust,
this is at the moment the most interest,"
ing OF the Russian advances in its pos
sibilities for the future. Not only does
it promise the complete isolation land
consequent falD of Kharkov, but If it
can be developed, in connection with
the lzyum attack, it threatens to turn
the whole German line along the Donets.
Only about 20 miles away to the south
west lies the rail junction OF Krasnograd,
where the Kharkov- -Dnepropetrovsk line
crosses the first of the three main east
west railways which maintain the Ger
man communications with their Donets-
Mus army. Farther east on this line, the
important town of Barvenkova lies about
Is miles southwest of Izyum Poltava is
also on this railway, west of Kraskno-
grad.
Thus we see the possibility of a gen.
eral Russian offensive sweeping forward
to the line Poltava- a-Krasknograd- Bar
venkova. with Kharkov's fall mere
incident In its progress. Should this be-
come the jump-of line for great Rus
sian force, all the German troops to the
east and Southeast-perhaps 2O-25 di-
| visions-would be trapped.
This would be very different affair
from the hasty armored thrusts of last
winter, which carried the Russians al
most to the bend of the Dnieper only to
be thrown back by powerful German
counterattack. What now seems to be
looming vaguely behind the fog of war"
IN South Russia is powerful Russian
offensive on broad front, to smash
through eventually to the Dnieper right
across the three east-west railways
above referred to.
The Russians can protect the flank of
this offensive against German counter
attack, first by taking Sunni, which they
nave almost done; and second, and far
more important, by taking Poltava. With
Poltava firmly held by the Russians. it
would be extremely dificult-almost i'm
possible-for the Germans to launch a
counterattack which could save their
Donets armies against an encirclinp
movement sweeping south and southwest
from Kharkov- -zmiev-I -Izyum.
IL would, indeed, be one of the great
colncldences OF history if an invader of
RUSSIA should once again be decisively
oe1eated at Poltava, where Peter the
Great broke the power of the Swedish
conqueror, Charles XII, just two-and-a-
third centuries ago. But so it may turn
out-unless the Germans do something
much more effective than the small
scale counterattacks with which they
have been buying few days time for
their tenure of Kharkov.
Copyright, 1943, N. Y. Tribune Inc)