Show Action in Crimea Called Chief Threat to Russ Editors Editor's Note This Is the first of a a. series of weekly articles by Captain B. B II H. H Liddell Hart Bart noted British military expert Ills His articles will appear each Monday londay in The Salt Lake Telegram By CAPTAIN B. B II LIDDELL HART LONDON Nov 10 INS The INS The last week may be rec reckoned onedas as another week gained by the Russians in delaying the invaders invader's invaders invader's invaders invader's in in- vader's achievements of his main aims Neither toward Moscow nor toward toward toward to to- ward which is an even more strategic key point have the Germans made any perceptible progress For the moment the pressure seems to have been flattened Snowdrifts near Moscow and mud near are balking the efforts efforts efforts ef ef- ef- ef forts of the Germans and costing them time It would have been a good week for the Russians but for events in inthe inthe inthe the Crimea Here the Germans following up their success in penetrating penetrating penetrating pene pene- the narrow isthmus isthmus isthmus mus mus spread ad like a flood over the peninsula Sweep Toward Sevastopol Splitting the Russian forces they swept southward to the outer outer outer out out- er defenses of Sevastopol and eastward eastward eastward east east- ward to Feodosia and the neck of land and leading to the port of Kerch Significance of these developments developments developments develop develop- ments is twofold They endanger I Russia's naval control of the Black Blacksea Blacksea Blacksea sea and they offer the Germans an alternative line of approach to the i Caucasus and Caucasus and with it a potential II lever ever against the rear of Marshal Semyon armies covering covering covering cov cov- ering On their advance to Sevastopol the Germans appear to have reached the River Alma line on which h 87 years ago the Russians stopped to meet the French and British armies In that invasion the political object was markedly different defensive defensive defensive de de- de- de rather than offensive offensive to to protect Turkey and indirectly the allies' allies own Mediterranean communications com com- but but their strategic objective was the same same to to cripple Russia's Black sea fleet by destroying destroying de- de its base Almost a year passed however between the crossing of the Alma and the fall of Sevastopol It hardly hardly hardy hard- hard ly y can be hoped that the present campaign in the Crimea will last as long Failure of the Russians to hold such uch such a short and easily defensible ble front as the isthmus does not suggest their Crimean forces have much capacity for resistance re- re sistan istance e such as their troops in inthe inthe inthe the north have shown Two Other Ports Apart from Sevastopol the only remaining ports port available to the Russian Black s sea sia a fleet appear to tobe tobe toe be e and Batum Batum The Theatter latter atter is not a very suitable base as the anchorage there offers no shelter helter when the wind is blowing from rom the west N is so close to the Crimea that it is bound to be subject subject sub- sub to range close-range air attacks by German Jerman bombers operating from airdromes in the captured Crimea A crucial question now arises n this his quarter Whether German troops can reach the easterly tip of the Crime Crimean an peninsula peninsula peninsula-Kerch Kerch and and from there cross the narrow straits to the mainland east of the Sea of If they achieved this they would be within 50 miles of I and would threaten to turn the main line of the Russian defenses along the River Don and through They could then reach the oil fields In the Caucasus mountains moun moun- ains without forcing this barrier line inc The deeper significance if it the Crimean campaign lies in its bear- bear bearIng bearing Ing ng on the issue of land power versus sea power Like the Cretan campaign though hough in different form it is an attempt to see how far technically and geographically a combination of land and air forces can overcome overcome over- over come ome and circumvent naval aval bar bar- of 4 h 1 |