Evening star., 1943-01-10
Russian Front

AL IOdOS ledQ 10 HOSLOV. "A fIuSSlall
army moving south along the Moscow
Rostov Railroad last week approached
within ITO miles Of Rostov. A Russian
army moving west along the Sal River
Valley reached Bolshaya Orlovko, IS
miles from Rostov. An army moving
southwestward along the railroad from
Stalingrad to Tikhoretsk reached the
town of Zimovniki on their way to the
city Of Salsk, from which railroad runs
to Rostov 100 miles away. Deep In
Northern Caucasus Russian army ap-
preached Mineralyne Vody, 800 miles
from Rostov. This army was backed up
by another Russian force moving south
ward from the region Of Elista, in the
desolate Kalmyk area.
With these many daggers, all Coop
Grating and converging SO that, il sue
cessful, they will trap
Seek to Trop In an inescapable bag
200, 900 kozis about 100000 Ger
man and German
ally forces, Gen. Gregory zhukov. COM
mander Of the south, Is slowly undoing
the major accomplishments of the Ger
mans Russian campaign Of 1912. To
trap and destroy the Axis armies in the
Caucasus, south Of the Sal and west OF
the force outside Mineralyne vody, and
to drive the Axis forces to the western
side OF the Don River and beyond-that
is the strategy of Zhukov. The capture
Of Rostov would be the signal for the
strategy's triumph.
The advances made by the Reds In
the unfolding of that strategy last week
were swift. In the Caucasus forces which
had newly won Mozdok from the Ger
mans were driving on Monday toward
Prokhladenski, Is miles from Mozdok,
and by the time the week was over they
were 25 miles beyond Prokhladenski. Nal
chik, south of Prokhladenski, in German
hands since midsummer once more in
Russian. The forces of young 1t. Gen.
K. Rokossovsky on the Don began the
week determined to take the town Of
Tsimlyansk on the way to Rostov and by
the end of the week they were so miles
beyond Tsimlyansk
The chief blow at Rostov is being aimed
along the thrust from Tsimlyansk. To
the north Of this thrust nanking move
ment is in operation on the rail line from
Stalingrad where the Germans who
came as invaders now remain as the
beseiged-with o thrust toward Likhaya.
There the force moving southwark along
the Moscow-Rostov railroad might meet
the Reds on the way from Stalingrad.
At Likhaya the rail lines join. To the
south, in the snowy Caucasus, thanking
movement is being projected along the
line to Salsk. Soon, at last weeks rate OF
speed, the attacking Russians will be
in the low-lying region that spreads
around Rostov and makes that city ex-
ceedingly dinicult to defend.
If the Reds this winter get no further
than Rostov. they will have accomplished
much. They will have destroyed the
German armies Of the Caucasus and OF
Stalingrad. Already the latter are iso-
lated and the only means of relief for the
former is from the Black Sea, where the
Germans are believed to have only mod
crate shipping and naval tonnage. They
will also have kept the Germans from
getting oil from the Caucasus. but the
Germans have been cut off from new
supplies of petroleum in large quantities
for so long that the question urges itself
forward whether the Nazis have not
discovered some way Of dealing with
their oil problem besides getting petro-
leun out Of the ground. The Reds in
Rostov also will have insured for them
selves the unrestricted use of the Caspian
Sea and the Volga River as avenues Of
supply and transport. Both waterways
are essential in the the passage Of Amer
ican goods into Russia by the Persian
gateway. A convoy Of Russia bound sup
plies reached northern Soviet port
last week.