The Wilmington Morning Star

It's Different Now

Last winter's counter-offensives by the Russians nibbled at Nazi lines but drove the enemy back such a short distance, in comparison with the wide areas previously invaded, that there are some pessimists now viewing the Red thrust in the Don basin as of little if any more value.

They would do better to readjust their sights, with a wide enough sweep to include, not only the actual situation around Stalingrad, but the large withdrawals of Axis forces from Russia as a result of the African campaign. When they do this, they will see that Hitler, flush with major successes last year, and still possessing tremendous striking power, could hold his secondary defenses, even under the severities of winter, whereas now he has only weakened divisions on the eastern front composed of soldiers whose thirst for fighting has been assuaged and who are seriously questioning the supreme powers claimed by their leader.

The Russians halted Hitler, with winter's help, last year, and drove him back a short distance in principal battle areas, but could not break his resistance or seriously handicap his battle strength, as was demonstrated by the vigor and sweep of his advance in the earlier stages of his attack last spring and summer. But his losses were so great in this fighting, and his withdrawals are now so heavy, that the situation is vastly improved for the counter-thrusting Russians who, even after frightful fighting still have their armies intact, with their driving force unbroken and with their equipment augmented by deliveries from America and England.

The Axis retreat may again be stopped but this time because Hitler's forces in the south are unable to extricate themselves from the trap closing in upon them, not because they have the strength to resist.