The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1943-10-03
Interpreting
The War
BY KIRKE l.. SIMPSON
Associated Press War Analyst

Associated Press War Analyst
Nazi Germany came to its great
est crisis of the war this past
week along the west bank OF the
Dnieper river.
No important bridgehead out.
post beyond that stream remains
firmly in German hands and even
the Vitebsk gateway to Poland,
the Baltic states and east Prus.
sian appears to be cracking un-
der the weight of the Russian
steam-roller attack.
Berlin admitted Russian toe
holds west of the river at un.
stated points. That probably
means above the Russian-beseig.
ed Kiev bastion in the sector north
of the confluence of the Pripet
and the Dnieper as well as SOUTH
eastward of Kiev where a Rus
sian break-through to reach the
Warsaw-Bel Tserktv-Dnepropetro-
vsk railway would gravely jeo-
pardize the whole Nazi right flank
in Russia.
Critical
Either threat to the Dnieper
line is critical 1t would not be
held against Russian penetration
in force to the west bank Of the
river on either end. Yet is is
on the extreme flanks, north and
south. that the first evidence OF
Nazi retreat from the Dnieper
must come if it is actually an
early prospect as all reports sus-
gests.
South of the lower elbow Of the
great bend of the Dnieper fur
ious battle to stall off a Russian
thanking movement is reported by
Berlin. Moscow has not mention-
ed it. 1t is clear, however, that
heavy Russian forces, hampercd
by mud and rains, are trying 10
storm in the flat triangle below
the broad Dnieper estuary and
possibly cut off the Germans still
in the Crimea. The narrow Pere
kop isthmus, fitted by Nazis with
military railroad since the last
Crimean campaign, is the only
German escape route from that
trap.
It cannot be doubted that Ger,
man defense lines south Of the
Dnieper bend to the Sea OF AzoV
coast are in communications dill
ficulties. The river and its marsh
es hamper the movement of men
and supplies into the Dnieper-
Black sea triangle if the khar-
kov-Crimea railroad is as close I'LL
der Russian guns as indicated.
Relying On Marshes
The Russian seige of VitebsE
north of the upper bend of the
Dnieper at Orsha is pointing a
dangerous thrust at the whole left
flank of the enemy clear to the
Gulf of Finland coast west Of
Leningrad. By latest available
reports from that only dormant
sector. German forces still are
deeply deployed east OF the PskoV
gateway to the southern end OF
Lake linen and on the upper
Volkov. They appear to be rely
ing on the marshes between the
Lovat and the Polista rivers south
west of Lake linen to protect
them from enlightenment by the
Russian army which months ago
took Velikie Luki.
That Russian force must be
merely biding its time. 1t may be
waiting for the freeze-up in north
ern Russian or the fall of Vitebsk
before striking out northWestWard
toward the critical Pskov gate
way to Leningrad, less than $50
miles away. The first winter cam
paging in Russia at which Rus
sian forces heretofore have shown
themselves the master Of their
foes in endurance, mobility and
daring, is apt to come this year
in that sector.
1t seems clear that the first
symptoms Of a disastrous Nasl
retreat from the Dnieper, even
though the Russian penetration
might occur in the center, are
to be expected on the extreme
north and south flanks of the pre-
sent line. Both hold possibilities
Of entrapment Of large German
forces.
By these and other signs, 1t
seems probable that the next week
| Or two alnno the Dnienar will see