The Wilmington morning star., 1943-03-13

The War :
By GLENN RApp

,aine r1 IT ~ a.,"l1 p success in the N.
ralne: Ihe Red army has reooi us
cred Vyazma, last bastion :. .eeov
menacing salient which bs, 81 hi ,aa'
pointed at Moscow for aS Vs. Deer
a half. The Germans assert ss~' "a and
have reentered Kharkov @eI
even, according to one ',ro.s'i ~ sv
version, reoccupied it. O4i'clal
But the apparent balanco ;;
ceptive. The way the battla. - oe
going indicates that the car s sF'
have seized for the moman. ,iaA'
least more than their shars ~ Al. al
initiative. Vi lhs
The figh: for Kharkov
again by resurgent Maj i'aued
after only "a days in Russian ta'lliy
seems at this juncture lLal'. ilaias
have a greater effect on ths s ". 70
ing spring and summer camnsiaa sulll'
than the Red army's triumnhssuss ,sns
return to Vyazma. No mattar pIai' h
much further it may carry tb.u. auS
the comeback of the Germans ei,, H.
the Ukraine, from the brint 's >. IN
disaster that might have ma+oa.s W
stallngrad, to their present sa VIC;
ton of dominance in the n1n". pvs'
basin, must take rank smonr 4ss 81.
major military achievement, Ss 1t.
the war " Oh
There is grave danger that +.
will give them an advantags ~
tactical position and in morals a. t,at III
could carry them far in tho I,r' ,r
mactic 1943 campaign. Much W u,
pends of course, on the reserus ue
Joseph Stain is able to shift ~
meet this peril. The next few d.v. W.
or weeks may show how mncS
striking power he was able to bold
back from the wearing winter n.
fensive. !"
1t is not intended to imply that
the recovery of wanna and tbe
reduction of its salient does mn
represent victory of the frs
magnitude. But as a turn in the
fortunes of war it does not rank
with the Ukraine battle. The fate
of Vyazma was sealed weeks ago:
the Russians only now are har.
vesting the full fruits Of the win.
ter's attacks all along the front
above the hinge at Orel. But their
abandonment Of the city means
for the German another long stage
on that disastrous road back from
Moscow haunted by memories Of
Napoleon's Grand Armee 1t lays
bare Smolensk, Hitler's 1941 head.
quarters, to Russian thrusts from
the east, northeast and north.
Berlin asserts that the retire.
ment on this front is according
to plan and there is evidence 10
support this claim. The German
command announced the surrender
of Rzhev, Gzhatsk and Vyazma
from six to II hours in each case
before Moscow recorded their re-
occupation. The whole operation
has the appearance Of a compe-
tent strategical retreat, a conser-
walton ct forces in the north at
time when the greatest possible
driving power was being concen'
trated in the Ukraine. 1t has the
trademark of the German great
general staff, so different from ts
Hitler brand on that semi-hyster'
cal adventure Of Stalin3rad.
Today's situation indicates that
the German army, despite the dis
asters that befell it this winter,
retains tremendous reserves and
recuperative powers. Dispatcnes
from Turkey report that Hitler
cracking the lash over his satel'
(lites and drawing further on Ger.
man manpower to put an army Gl
5000, 900 or 100000 in the fleld
this spring for one more terflHc
effort to destroy the Red army
This time, it is said, he Will mol
be seeking territory or oil or cllleS
rich in sentiment or prestige Ou'
merely the end of Russian reSlSt
ance before the Allied invasion u
Europe comes. These Turkish it
ports-it was from Turkey 'na'
first word came of HitlerS PREY, .es,
arations to invade Russia in ls4l
may we'll be close to the facls.
All the logic of his situation lmpeIs
Hitler toward one more mlsn1 l5
blow of just this kind, and II woulu 'S,:,!4,,
be foolish to blink the posslolil'
that he might succeed. aot
II is not strange therefore, 'ns'
the Russians, despite their conlf
dence in ultimate victory ool"
the RED arny's great achievemen, en-
of the winter, are returning 70 70 .ss WV
theme of the second front. snn II uo
Allies we're only on the EUROPE g,ss
continent, they imply, tha' uim. ;r,.
On Kharkov would have been Hi
possible. =, ,rohably
The next few months pfopdsh,e op the
will see a grim race on walen n ifs its
wars duration, perhaps even ven be.
outcome, may depend raoJ Yin a
tween Hitler's efforts 10 salli ssilios'
decision in Russia ana the en+ e m
program fo1 gaining a lodgiileH 9.a his
the continent and breachiifsf isiifsficult
fortress of Europe. 1t is ui. 49, the
to see how Hitler can WIN =" w. have
speed with which his generdi' +he
struck in the Ukraine ana ana in
nainful rate of Allied progle'o oon,.
T,1nisia leave little room loi
placency.
"