Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-03-11
Germans Must Take
Khorkov or Retreat
Major Eliot Says Russions
Are Struggling to Stabilize
Situation in Southern Secto,
BIZ Mai. GEORGE Fielding Eliot

BIZ MAJ George Fielding Eliot.
/ kharkov is the kew point in the mill
/ tary situation in South Russia, If the
/ Russians can retain THEN hold on Khar-
! kov and consolidate their positions cast
| and west of that city, the German posi-
! ton in the Donetz basin must continue
| to be dangerous salient with a long
I exposed northern flank If the Russians
/ lose Kharkov. the situation becomes
! roughly the same in this area as it was
/ at the beginning Of the German offen-
| sive in the summer OF 1912.
So far, the Germans have gained from
their great Counteraltack the immediate
benefits which they sought, that is the
/ reopening of the ran communications OF
| their forces in the Donetz area and the
| defeat of the Russian attempt to encircle
| these forces which came so very close to
success. But strategicauy they are stu
faced-aS long as kharkov remains in
Russian hands-with the unpleasant
alternatives of Withdrawing from the
Donetz area or of facing constant
drain on their resources to maintain
their hold on this salient against Rus
sian pressure from the north
The Germans have certainly greatly
improved their immediate prospects.
They have not only reopened, by the
/ reCapture of KraSnOarmeisk the main
railway from DnieprcpetroVsk into the
Donetz basin. but they have also re-
opened the parallel line, farther north,
from Poltava through KraSnograd and
Lozovaya to Slavyansk They have thus
restored their defense line along the
river Donetz, but so far there is no indi-
cation that they have been able to ad-
vance beyond that line.
The threat to Kharkov seems TO be
coming chiefly from the west, and is
probably based on poltava So far as
is known the Russians still hold their
positions around sunni and AkhtirSk
northwest Of Kharkcv. and it may be
pressure from this direction which has
brought the German attack on Kharkov
to P halt for the time being. Never
theleSs the Germans are very near the
city and it is much toe early to say that
it is out of danger.
Their successes have cost the Germans
heavily. Russian advices point out that
the Germans have had to put in at
least 30 fresh divisions of which Is
appear to have been employed on the
southern front; the other were prob
ably used in the Orel sector. Of these
25 divisions, IL are said by the Russians
to have been Withdrawn from Western
Europe. If this is so, it must be assumed
that they were replaced in Western
Europe by an equivalent number of
divisions withdrawn from the Russian
front for rest, since we can hardly sup
pose that the Germans are making any
great reduction OF their net force in
Western Europe at this time. The other
13 divisions appear to have been re-
constituted divisions which had for
merry been operating on the Russian
front, had been withdrawn to reserve,
and are now reappearing after all too
brief periods of reCuperation. 1t is by
these eXpedients that the Germans have
contriVed to save themselves from a
major disaster. Whether they can con-
vert that achievement into a real sue
cess depends on the Russians ability
to hold Kharkov.
incidentally, the key position which
KharkoV occupies explains the tenacity
with which the Germans are now hold
ing on TO Orel, for Orel in German
hands blocks the main Moscow Kharkov
railway, the use Of which would be of
great Importance to the Russians not
only in holding kharkov, but in build
ing up there great base for the re-
sumption Of their offensive toward the
Dnieper at more favorable opportunity
The reasons behind the German sue
cess, aside from the timely and vigor-
Gus use of their reserves by the German
high command, appear to pc ~ the
spring thaWs, which interfered with
the Russian supply lines more than it
did the German, since the Russians bad
by far the longer road hauls to contend
with ~ the fact that the Russians
had IN many cases outrun their sup
plies, so that their final drive TO Paw
lOgrad and KraSnograd may well have
been in the nature of desperate race
against time mud and the Germans,
which the Russians lost: 81 the leayy
German concentration of armored
troops-they are reported as using no
less than II armored divisions in their
counter attack-which in view 0t The
Russian supply situation may well have
given the enemy crushing tank superb
GRITTY at the critical points and moments
Both sides will now be desperately at
work to get supplies and reinforcements
up to the front, the Russians trying to
stabilize the situation as it now is and
prepare for a resumption of their
offensive later on. the Germans trying to
wrest Kharkov from the Russians While
they have the chance so as to put them
selves in a much better position to re-
slSt new Russian drive
Copyright 1913 New York Tribune Inc)
'SenseIess'