| Show Be Behind md 1 t the e Y War tW News S' S I i IV By CaptaIn John H. H Craig r INS War Analyst I If Field Marshal Joseph Stalin feels teela that the British American-British allies have not contributed materIally materially ma ma- to assistance of ot Russia In this war he should take a a. alook alook look at the map and tho the cal cal- A year ago Hitler's nazi armies were vero hammering at the tho gates of ot Stalingrad with their Volga Volga Vol Vol- artillery ranging across the ga river Russia's vital trans trans- transportation transportation artery Today the Germans are miles mUes to the west of ot last years year's high water mark nearly clear of the tho soil of ot holy Russia A year ago German strategy was waa unquestionably offensive Nazi armies were svere within striking die dis- distance tance of decisive objectives such as u Russia's Important all-Important oil on oilfields oilfields fields of ot the Caucasus Russian strategy was admittedly sive The question was not could the red army defeat and destroy the but could It prevent a a. death dealing stab to Its own fatherland No sane man would attempt to belittle the magnificent battle put up by the Russian army Their valor and skill and discipline pline kept the nazis from vic vie tory But It Is equally unintelligent unintelligent unintelligent gent to belittle Uncle Sams Sam's lend lease aid that put arms Into Rusian hands and food Into Russian mouths No soldiers however brave can fight without without without with with- out weapons Tho The czars czar's armies the tho same strong brave magnificent magnificent cent Russian peasants tried that from 1915 to 1017 1911 In tho the first World war and lost to I Kaiser alser Wilhelms Wilhelm's Germany Without arms equipment and food given by the United States and Britain Britain Brit Brit- ain ala Russia would probably have lost this time But that Is far from being the end of ot the story of ot aid rendered Russia by America and Britain All through last winter and the present summer allied bombing planes based on Britain have given the German war production production tion machine a terrific mauling The damage done has been considerable considerable considerable con con- although Its exact extent extent ex ex- tent Is difficult to estimate But every gun plane and tank knocked off oft th the total of ot German German German Ger Ger- man production by the allied bombers was one less for Hitler to use against the red army American British strategic bombing was a vast help to Marshal Marshal Mar Mar- Stalin's Russia but the known fact that Am America rica Sad and and I Britain were building up vat vast armies and preparing to Invade y j Europe was of ot even greater assistance All through 1941 and 1942 Hitler c could uld devote devot all If J his strength to trying to knock Russia out of the tho war Ho hal haa f 5 to do that to win as this column col n VI has repeatedly rep pointed out 5 II Now Stalingrad and a. a allied d' d I t bombing have hav proved th that t ht he put bOu bOue we wethe e cannot Russia e destroy and with s the Yanks and British approach h rte ing a strength level l where the they are arc able to do some sOma large scale large cale 1 cie Invading Germany obviously jO jOU 10 t must get gel ready to do tome some U b scale large fighting in we tem tc Europe Europ r tf he To do that Hitler r has to se seek seeka k fe a a. short easily defended line im in inthe bU bUt t the east cast where he C can n try for a a. funn stalemate That meanS mean that he ht ie has to get clean out of ot Russia Rula There is not a line in that court coon r try short and compact enough a ato to be held with less than the tue tot t full nazi strength sr C Strongest and shortest line IT in 1 3 raf Russia is that of ot the Je river but dispatches quote nul ll fO propaganda b broadcasts chronIcling chron V d- d the evacuation of Sm i one OM of at its principal ba bat baa I and If It this U is true the tile next line on which tho the nazis can stop atop C othe r ris Is the old Curzon line through tin 1 Poland j- j bre Russian dispatches all through Ceo the summer-long summer nazi nul retreat Mth have reported fierce f ey This has unquestionably hat hart L. har-L. ii l Ie assed tho the backward movement tiia tiu but the best nc that it ij isa la is fi fia fe a planned retreat rather than a t collapse of ot the tho e in the red arm army statement re re- that while Ctr Uch mans have been killed and er wounded less than have onY oni been taken prisoners After g as rout many more cur lur ut- ut id i Ur render than that 4 So to get a fair picture of of m what is happening in Russia Rusia t lh the T American British contribution as outlined above ought to t b b. b ra taken into consideration for th his Witt enormous result It has haa produced Of at course Marshal Stalin would like IlkI a a. mass British American ei n l drive on France Prance or the low coun coun 1 fU tries That is what his generals a educated in the continental school think Is la called for l hO But Britain has depended fer through history on sea power and and campaigns of ot attrition ThIs Thu This This' p lie e strategy brought the fall of ot Napoleon Na Nt pole on and Louis Loul XIV Only a once In World War I did Erit Brit jj uw if a aln ala go for the continental theory i of war and she ahe ha has haa been re it rev IT T gretting It ever since t i Statements and opinions here bert j ld in are private to the writer and are not to be construed as at re SJ fleeting the views of the navy navr en department t 4 |
