Show Behind the War News I Major Eliot Says By Dy MAJOR GEORGE FIELDING ELIOT The special soviet que reviewing the results obtained obtained obtained ob ob- to date by the greater counteroffensive offensive In south Russia Russia Russia Rus Rus- sia reveals the thoroughness and skill with which this vast operation operation opera opera- I tion has been planned and exe exe- First came the drive northwest northwest northwest north north- west of Stalingrad which freed the approaches to the city and threatened the communications of the siege army This blow appears to have fallen most heavily on the luckless Rumanians Rumanians Rumanians Ruman Ruman- ians whom the Germans had left to guard this northern flank either because they could do no better or more likely because the Rumanian troops were not proving very useful in the assault assault assault as as- sault on the city itself Ten Rumanian Rumanian Rumanian Ru Ru- manian divisions including one armored division were involved in this phase of the operation they were supported by only three German infantry divisions divisions divisions divi divi- and one armored division plus three others which apparently apparently apparently were hastily but too late pushed in as reinforcements All these except the last three are reported as routed and since prisoners were taken it is pretty clear that not much is left of these elements as fighting units even if we discount discount discount dis dis- dis- dis count very heavily th the reported report report- ed killed It may be as assumed assumed assumed as- as that reports of prisoners taken are reasonably accurate though there is no reason to give the same credence to re reports reports reports re- re ports of killed and wounded Next came the completion of the envelopment of Stalingrad from the north northwest and southwest leaving le only one narrow narrow narrow nar nar- row corridor open along the Don This entrapped the German German German Ger Ger- man siege army which has since been on the defensive with di diminishing diminishing diminishing di- di stores and may now be wholly surrounded It Is almost al almost almost al- al most certainly doomed to extinction extinction extinction ex ex- or capture It is notable that this force Is with is-with with the exception of two Rumanian divisions entirely German The German units in include include include in- in clude eleven infantry divisions three motorized infantry divisions divisions divisions divi divi- the remnants of three other infantry divisions apparently apparently apparently involved in the previous phase of the fighting three armored divisions and also corps and ar army y troops seven artillery regiments a mortar regiment and four battalions of assault engineers This amounts to a total of 22 axis divisions disposed of ot or entrapped Naturally this heavy assault on the German forces at Stalingrad Stalingrad Stalingrad Stalin Stalin- grad tended to draw eastward to the aid of the threatened siege army the German reserve forces In the bend of the Don and the weakening of the German positions positions positions in this area having been foreseen gave the Russians the opportunity to launch the next phase of their counteroffensive the thrust southward from the middle Don whose crossings had been valiantly defended all summer summer summer sum sum- mer and have proven to be as repeatedly pointed out in these article articles the key i to the whole situation Here the Germans had 1 j fished an Italian army on flank guard and it fared no better j than the Rumanians Five anda and and a half Italian divisions and two Rumanian divisions were rout routed routed a ed as well as four German in in- 3 1 fantry divisions and one armored division which provided their 1 3 stiffening element Again the toll of prisoners prisoners suggests sug sug- i that of these units very little remains By this time the central reserve re re- re-i re serve elements of the German forces in south Russia were being being be be- ing called in These would normally normally nor nor- mally be held as far back as' as as' as the central point of the whole German fabric fabrie- in this area and the one from fronti which any position on the wide front between and the middle Don could be reinforced At all costs the Russians had to be stopped short of the Donetz No doubt also by this thil time troops from the main strategic strategic stra stra- reserve in Germany were streaming eastward But the weakening of the army group reserve at gave the signal sig- sig nal for the next phase of the Russian operations which the the describes the the- smashing blow southwest of M Stalingrad railway This line Une was of great in v to the Germans They They were using it to supply the al al most-encircled most siege army at Stalingrad running s sup supply u p p ply 1 y trains as far forward as the advanced supply base at Kotel Kotel- 4 and from there trucking trucking truck- truck ii ing the supplies through the the thea narrow corridor along the Don 3 1 which was still open or flying 4 them in by transport plane j But fell to the j sudden soviet attack and the a Russians rolled roIled on down the a railway the presence of three German armored divisions and I j a motorized division could not 1 stop them and four Rumanian j divisions were likewise routed j though only prisoners were Zi taken which taken which suggests that the 1 German forces by reason of their high mobility were this thi r time able to withdraw in fairly good order and may be heard from again Another Russian column probably highly motorized has has has' dived east of the railway down into int the steppe and andis andis 71 is approaching the Manych n rive riv- v- v v er ere This column Is probably intended in- in j tended to outflank the line of ot the Manych on which the Ger Germans Germans Geri Ger- mans retreating along the railWay railway rail ini i way might otherwise be ba expected expect 1 ed to make a stand j i Certainly both these operations operations operations opera- opera threaten the line of retreat retreat re- re treat of the German armies in inthe the north Caucasian area The 1 speed of their advance makes it clear that the Germans are If d growing short of means with which to resist What their de decision will be fight to toa a a a finish or commence to withdraw withdraw with with- draw is not yet clear But de c cit it is a decision which must be betaken betaken betaken taken soon I |