Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-02-26
Crack German Troops
Face Russian Drive
Maj. Eliot Sees Lost-Ditch
Stand to Save Nozi Army
In Donets-Rostov Area
By Maj. George Fielding Eliot.

By MAJ. George Fielding Eliot.
There are strong indications that the
Germans have thrown heavy reserve
forces into the crucial area of the Rus
sian front, between the Donets and the
Dnieper, in a desperate hope of checking
the Russian drive for the crucial Dnieper
crossing at Dnieperpetrovsk and Zapor-
oZSe.
For three days the Russian commune
ques have not mentioned this section of
the front, after recording the fall of
Pavlograd and Krasnograd. The Ger
mans claim the repulse OF Russian at
tacks by strong German Army and
Waffen S. S. formations, thus admitting
that they are using their crack troops
in what must be considered last-ditch
stand to save their armies down in the
DonetS- Rostov area.
That the Germans should do this,
makes it clear that the forces still re-
naming in the latter area are consid-
cradle in number, otherwise it would
hardly be worth while to commit so
large a portion Of the precious German
general reserve to save them. The battle
now raging on the plain between the
Dnieper and the Donets may therefore
be one Of the decisive battles of this war,
If not of all military history.
To reCapitulate very briefly the situa-
ton: The Germans held in considerable
strength the line of the River Donets,
covering the northern and eastern APP
-
approaches to that city were preached,
and the army of the Caucasus cut off
the military Importance Of Rostov came
to an end. Thereafter, the German pur-
pose should have been to withdraw from
this whole salient, but the decision seems
to have been ken too late.
The Russian break through on the
middle Donets reached Kramatorsk, was
checked, advanced again farther west
and cut the main Rostov-S talino- Dniep-
erpetrovsk railway at Krasnoarmeisk.
These Russian successes checked the
German Withdrawals, and the Germans
seem to have decided to use the very
limited capacity of the one single-track
line left to them, largely for sending in
reinforcementS to check the Russian
threat to Stalino, which would have cut
that line and entrapped the whole
DonetSRostov force. In this they have
so far been successful despite very heavy
Russian pressure.
The Russian counter to this move was
the capture of Kharkov where the
German reinforcements arrived too late.
This gave the Russians possession of
vital rail net, and enabled them to drive
southWestward for the crossings Of the
Dnieper, the capture Of which would
have trapped the Donets-Rostov force
and the German troops on the middle
Donets as we'll, besides cutting off the
Crimea and the remnants of the army
of the Caucasus. Thus the stake became
greater as the size OF the theater Of
active operations increased.
Now the Germans have made new
counter move by throwing in the power
full reserve forces which have at the
eleventh hour, checked, at least tempo
rarily the Russian drive for the Dnieper.
The Russians are still fighting hard for
victory in this area, and may achieve it.
They have also made new counter
move by their thrust farther north
directed at Poltava and possibly at
Kremenchug, which is the next crossing
of the Dnieper above Dnieperpetrovsk.
This threatens the rear and communica-
tons Of the German troops fighting
between the Dnieper and the Don, and
the Germans must find the reserves to
stop it, while still keeping in hand ade-
quate reserves for the main fight.
The problem of German reserves is of
the greatest importance and should be
watched as an indicator of the course the
war may take during the remainder Of
this year.
During the fall, the Germans are
believed to have withdrawn so to 10
German divisions from the Russian front
as a whole for reconstruction and rest in
Germany. Some OF the picked men Of
these divisions were sent as requirements
to Africa; certain skilled men were
transferred to war production jobs, the
divisions were to be filled up to strength
with raw recruits, re-equipped and
trained for the spring offensive in Rus
STA.
Their place on the Eastern front was
largely taken by forces from the satellite
states. But the satellite armies have
been virtually destroyed in the Russian
offensive, and German demands for their
replacement are meeting at least passive
resistance in Italy, Hungary and Ruma-
MIA. The occupation of Vichy France
has drawn heavily on the available
reserves. Now it appears that at least
half of the Withdrawn divisions have
had to be sent back to Russia. though
they can hardly have been fully ready
for action.
The net results is to limit very greatly
the freedom action of the German high
command both on the Russian front
and elsewhere. II more troops are re-
quired for the Russian front, as seems
probable there will be even less for other
theaterS.
In order to build up new army for
fresh operations of any character, the
Germans will be compelled TO draw more
and more heavily on industrial and agri-
cultural workers. already "combed out
again and again. 1t is therefore. no
small success which the Russians have
already gained, in compelling the Ger
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