Evening star., 1943-09-21
Race for Dneiper
Draws to Close
By Maj. George Fielding Eliot.

III SOutn Russia mas IOr SOHle WEEKS
been the Kiev- Poltava-S -Stalino railway.
The German defense has been we'll in
front of this line, and has stiffened
whenever the Russians approached it at
any point Thus the line has afforded
the Germans that lateral communica-
ton so essential to force which is
trying to make swift movement compen-
safe for diminishing numbers.
Behind this defensive shield, the Ger
mans undoubtedly have been engaged in
evacuating their heavy material and
some of their troops across the Dnieper
by means of the numerous branch rail-
ways which run from the main line to
the various Dnieper River crossings.
The Russians, after the fall of Khar-
kov. attempted to cut this line by a
direct assault on Poltava, its central
pivot. Had they succeeded, the whole
of the German army in the Donets
Basin would have been trapped. Stren-
uous German counterefforts held the
Russians back; the Russians then shifted
to two other lines of operation.
The first was an outflanking move
northwest of Poltava, a great swinging
arc which swept down toward the
Dnieper between Kiev and Kremen-
chug. The second was an eastward
drive into the Donets Basin itself. Be-
fore these double pressures, the Germans
have been compelled to evacuate the
Donets Basin altogether.
AS they retired, the Russians rolled
up the eastern end of the main railway,
taking Stalino and Lozovaya. Thus, the
long, straight German line of strategic
communications became sharp right
angle, bending south from the main
railway at Krasnograd to Dneprope-
trovsk. The Germans continued to
maintain their positions in front of this
line for some further days, while from
1t they continued to withdraw by the
branch lines across the Dnieper such
troops and material as they could spare.
They were playing for time-time and
the fall rains.
The Russians, hurting In fresh re.
serves, were trying to break upathe Ger.
man front while they still had an oppor-
tunity to exploit the results. Now the
break has come.
The German lateral railway has been
overrun at two points: Between Kiev
and Poltava, and between Poltava and
Dnepropetrovsk. The Germans must now
be falling back along all the branch line
railways. AL of these lead toward one
Of several crossings of the Dnieper.
There are three such lines Gncluding
the stub Of the original main line) lead
ing into Kiev, one toward Cherkassy,
two toward Kremenchug and three to-
ward Dnepropetrovsk.
There are also two such lines leading
toward the lowest Dnieper crossing at
zaporozhe, besides the Crimean Railway,
which is being menaced by the Russian
advance along the shore of the Sea of
Azov, but Is not yet cut
On each of these lines Except per-
haps the Crimean Railway the Rus
slams now have separate and distinct
opportunity OF cutting off considerable
numbers OF German troops and supplies.
The German forces retiring on Kiev may
be able to afford each other some degree
OF mutual support, but for all the rest
there Is no longer any question of an
unbroken front, but rather a series of
separated and isolated actions against
an enemy whose successes will now be
measured largely by his speed of
movement
In any case where the Russians gain
the left bank of the Dnieper at one of
the crossing points while there are still
Germans retiring toward that point,
these Germans are in the Russian bag,
The sum total of the Russian captures
may or may not amount to German
disaster. The possibilities are there. The
rains are factor and the enterprise and
boldness Of local commanders on both
sides are a factor-both of these will
vary in different localities.
But what probably will be the deter
mining element is the degree to which
the Russians are now capable of one
last mighty effort, with long and increas-
ing distances of road transport behind
them, back to the railroads which can
not hope to keep up with the present
efSoA VI ciAS 4eAOoldll dONdllCS. 1Qe AJeTs
mans may, of course, have provided pom
toon bridges for the crossing of the
Dnieper at other places than those which
have permanent bridges, but in such a
case the Germans would be as troubled
by road transport conditions as the Rus
slams. The Dnieper is not an impossible
barrier, it is an obstacle to be overcome,
and it seems likely to be an obstacle
which will delay the Russians for some
time, for it is hardly likely that the
Germans will allow any of the perma- =
nent bridges to fall intact into Russian
hands, while the task of bringing up
bridging material on the Russian side
villas the rains increase-soon be one
OF Herculean proportions.
We are now, therefore, seeing the last
phase Of the race for the Dnieper, the
most dangerous phase for the Germans,
the one of greatest opportunity for the
Russians since the through at
Poltava failed
(Copyrisht, 1943, by New York Tribune Inc)