Judging from the reports which came to hand yesterday, the various isolated counterattacks which had been carried out by the Russians during the past few days have developed into a real and extensive counteroffensive in which the Russians already appear to have gained some success. This is interesting as giving the lie in no mistakeable manner to the claims which the Germans have so often made that the Russians had thrown their last reserves into the struggle. Obviously, if the Russians had indeed done so. they would be quite unable to indulge either in local counter-attacks or extended counter-offensives. The conclusion to be drawn is that the huge Russian resources in man-power are now being brought into play. Those are practically inexhaustible, and Hitler in his gamble against Russia is paying a very heavy price, which he must continue io hold even that which he has already Russian reports speak of the heavy casualties inflicted upon the Germans, and there cannot be the slightest doubt that ihe fighting is most severe.
The locality in which the counter-offensive has been launched is of importance. For well over a month the Germans have been endeavouring to force their way through the area bounded on the south by the Dnieper where it makes a right-anglec turn eastward and the Dvina in the north which does the same thing. At the same time they have been endeavouring to entrap large Russian forces in the angle of the Dnieper. Success in either of these manceuvres would mean that the Russian position along the east bank of the river would be turned, with the result that the remaining half of the Ukraine would fall into German hands. A military commentator is of the opinion that, should the Russian counter-offensive succeed, there would be no German forces east of the Dnieper even in its upper reaches, which would mean that the river could then only be forced by direct frontal attack, which at any time would prove expensive. If, as it is claimed, though not confirmed, Smolensk has been recaptured by the Russians the chances of destroying the German outflanking movement would seem to be extremely good.
Three times have the Germans launched huge offensives since they commenced their invasion of Russia. In each succeeding one the progress made has decreased. Three times have the Russians succeeded in fighting the huge surging German attacks to a standstill, and at the end of the third onslaught they are now counter-attacking in strength. Thus in the middle of the huge line stretching from the Arctic to the Black Sea the Russian forces under Marshal Timoshenko have wrested the initiative from the invaders, and have, during the past few days, succeeded in throwing them back an appreciable, if not at present a decisive distance. What is of even more importance are the German losses in men and material. In their advances they have been made to pay heavily, losing in casualties during three months more than they lost in any one year during the last war. It may be that the Russians will be in no particular hurry to drive the Germans over the territory through which they have advanced because of the increased difficulty in communication which arises from the ruination which has been inflicted upon the countryside.
What seems to be more likely is that they will seek to effect the necessary corrections in their line and hold the Germans bogged down until winter, and all its hardships come to Russia's assistance. That this is something which the Germans expect is revealed by the news that they are now in search of skis and warm clothing for their troops. They have obtained little from the territory which they have overrun; the Russian scorched earth policy has ensured that, and heavy demands are likely to be made upon Germany's clothing reserves to equip men who will not, in winter, be suficiently protected by the ersatz materials which might serve elsewhere. The Russians" are showing the world that the German attempt to annihilate their armies has up to the present completely failed. "They are still in very effec: e existence, and what Hitler promised himself would be a short victorious eign has been transformed into one which promises to be long, d one in which German strength will becor very considerably attenuated.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.