| Show r Behind the he War Ne J Major Maior Eliot Says By MAJOR GEORGE FIELDING ELIOT Readers of these articles will recall that I have compared the German situation in south Russia Russia Rus Rus- sia to a sack or rather two sacks sacks sacks-a a small one in a larger one The small sack is the area in in in- closed between the middle and lower course of the Donets river and t e north shore of the Sea of The Russians are pressing pressing press press- ing against the bottom and upper upper up up- per side of this sack as the Germans Germans Germans Ger Ger- mans withdraw m more o 0 r e important important I tant they are trying to close its mouth at but so far they have not made much progress progress progress ress in this direction This seems to be due to German reinforcements reinforcements reinforcements reinforce reinforce- ments and to an improvement in inthe inthe inthe the superior direction of the German command The larger sack or super sack which contains this smaller sack within it has its mouth at the crossings of the river at and These places were protected against attack from the northeast northeast northeast north north- east and east by the German possession of the great railway center of When Khar Khar- kov fell the danger to these river crossings became immediately immediately immediately imme imme- acute acut The Russians are advancing southwest from directly direct direct- ly upon both poth of the river crossings They have pushed beyond beyond beyond be be- yond to pino which is o 0 only n I 1 y about 40 miles from a a single days day's march for armored troops At they have cut one of the two railways leading i into n t o 0 from the east and they are only 20 miles from where they would cut the other Should they reach the German German German Ger Ger- man armies in the Donets basin would be entirely dependent on the single I 11 line i n e crossing the at and and the Russians would be only 40 miles from that point There are no terrain features rivers mountains marshes to stop the Russian advance It seems highly probable that will fall it seems almost as probable that the Russians Russians Rus Rus- will soon be at the gates of both the river cities standing standing stand stand- ing on the bank of the wide mile with the eastern ends of the railway bridges in their hands Should this occur within with with- in the next few days the whole of the German armies now defending defending de de- de fending the line of the Donets Stalin and the in in in- rail net will b be cut cutoff cutoff off and surrounded Their fate fat will be as certain as that of th the Stalingrad or Cauca Caucasian Caucasian sian armies Already the condition of these German troops is precarious The Th fall of cutting one one of their main supply lines must must have had the effect of disorganizing disorganizing izing the w whole ole German supply Trains have rc-J rc system to be re rerouted re routed supplies collected at forward for for- 1 I ward depots have to be shifted by long a and n d circuitous move movements move mave ments to use the other lines still open For all this extra effort locomotives and cars have to bi be found at a time when lecoma tives and cars are already for normal requirement Thus the Russians are now w wit within i t h i n measurable distance within almost the certainty of another great victory They failed to close their small sack jack but they are about to close the thi It is hard larger one to set see what can prevent them from do do ing lug so at least as far as Sine is concerned The Germans Ger mans may make a desperate effort effort ef er ef- ef fort to h hold o old 1 d there may still be hard fighting be before be fore that point is reached by the tie Russians not only for the sake of the Donets Donets' army but al alas alas' because it will be the last remaining remaining remaining re re- German rail link with the Crimea If goes the Crimea goes with it in aU all all' probability and so does the the the- army of the Caucasus or what is left of it |
