Evening star., 1943-01-18
Sees Russians CLEARING
Moscow Line to Rostov
Military Writer Thinks
Germans Moy Have to Use
Reserves in Caucasus

(ThiS article tOGS lCritten before the
Russians claimed the recdpture OF
MilleroUO)
By Maj. George Fielding Eliot.
Once again it is necessary to express
admiration for the mastery fashion in
which the Russian high command is
developing it's vast offensive. new
blow has fallen on the Germans in the
RosSosh area, which has retaken that
stronghold and which appears to have
retaken all those points on the Voronezh-
Kantemirovka stretch of the Moscow
Rostov railway which still remained in
German hands. This may not be an
accurate picture; the Germans may still
have a few posts along the railway
which are holding out, and it is uncer-
tain whether or not the junction at
LiSki Is still in German hands. But it
does seem certain that the railway, If
not clear now, will be so in a very short
time, for the Russians are we'll west of
it over a long stretch of territory, and
any German posts on the line which may
still remain, are isolated and doomed.
Readers OF these articles will recall
that on January s I pointed out the
necessity of a Russian move on Ros-
sosh, for the precise purpose of opening
this railway. Now the Russians will be
able to send trains through from Moscow
and their main industrial centers right
down to the outskirts of Millerovo. The
result will be such pressure on Millerovo
that it will hardly be able to resist; and
when that happens the Russians will
have an open trunk line railway clear to
the forward depots of their army closing
in on Kamensk, If Kamensk has not
fallen by that time.
1t may be useful to recall how much of
these present Russian gains have de-
pended on the foresight, last summer
when the German offensive began, of
the Russian high command in making
every necessary sacrifice in order to hold
the crossings of the upper and middle
Don, in the general arc of Voronezh,
These positions were, as I repeatedly
pointed out at that time, the strategical
key to the whole situation in Southern
and Southeastern Russia. Possession of
the Don crossings and of the Voronezh
railway was prerequisite to sue
cessful German campaign toward Stalin-
grad. The German Gen. Won Book per-
ceived this well enough, and made his
first attack there. But he did not per-
sist in it; he allowed himself to be lured
aside in the pursuit of fools gold (or
should we say FOOLS oil?) in the Cau-
casus, and the attack on Stalingrad
began without the possession of the
f1anking positions which were essential
to its success. AS our own Gen. George
Patton would put it, the Germans be-
gan kicking the Russians in the seat of
the pants without having made sure
they held them firmly by the nose.
The result was inevitable, perhaps it
was not altogether Won Books fault He
Is good soldier, and he seems to have
protested bitterly over the conduct of
the campaign, and for his pains got him.
self relieved of his command by his
Fuehrer, whose personal responsibility
for the outcome of the operations he di-
to operate on lunches. This time his
lunches ran up against an army that
was willing to fight, and equipped to do
SO, and what was worse for Hitler, was
commanded by generals we'll acquainted
with the principles of strategy. The
fury of the capable German generals
who have been relieved and who must
lvy hyyo nj
their men under the command of Hitler
and his S. S. and estapo-led captains.
can be imagined.
The Rossosh operation comes we'll
timed, at a moment when it appears
probable that the railway lines through
Stalingrad may shortly be reopened to
through traffic. 1t may very we'll be that
these occurrences spell the doom of the
German army in the Caucasus, which
will certainly have to increase the speed
OF its withdrawal If it Is to win clear
before the reinforced Russian armies,
with open rail lines behind them, can
close in on the narrowing gateways
along the lower Don. A great deal now
depends on the German ability to hold
out in a few key points: Millerovo,
which still interrupts the full use of
the MoscoW-Rostov railway; Kamensk.
and the rail junction of Likhaya Just
behind 1t; and the general line of the
DonetZ, along which the Russian armies
are gathering. South of the Don, the
Germans must hold Salsk. They must,
moreover, prevent an advance of the
Russian army in the Western Cau-
casus to Krasnodar. These are the
points to watch; should any of them
give way, the effect will be of widespread
consequence.
Two other observations may be made:
First, a large-scale German counter
attack may be in the making, and if it
comes 1t will mean that the Germans
have put in their general reserve de-
spairing of rescuing their Caucasian
army by any lesser means. Second, Gen.
Maslennikov may succeed in compelling
that Caucasian army to turn and fight
fall-scale action in order to avoid
destruction in detail. If he does, he
may thus hold it long enough to enable
the trap to close upon 1t at Rostov
Copyright, 1943, New York Tribune, Inc)
Insists Upon Efficient Use