Death to the Invaders

"Whatever happens at Orel happens just as much everywhere in Germany at the same time. . . . Orel has already be come a symbol of internal strength, a symbol in which one will always see a test of German soldiers far beyond all successes achieved hitherto."

When these words were published in the German press five weeks ago, the long-awaited, ill-fated German summer offensive of 1943 had not yet spent its strength. Last week, after a relentless, inch-by-inch, 24-day counterdrive, the powerful Red Army seized Orel and drove on. For nearly two years Orel had been a key bastion of Hitler's forces in Russia. Now the Wehrmacht's high command issued a terse communique: "In the course of a shortening of the front in the Orel bend, the evacuation of the city of Orel, which had been planned for quite some time was carried out, undisturbed by the enemy. . . ."

As Orel cracked and crumbled, there was a thunderous echo from the south. From a series of intermittent clashes, an other huge Soviet force emerged in a swift and surprise smash at Belgorod. Within a single day that key to the lush grainfields of the Ukraine and the rich industrial Donets basin fell, too, and the Red Army crushed on.

It was Joseph Stalin's turn to speak. As all Russia rejoiced over the unprecedented double victory, the Marshal addressed a special order of the day to Generals Popov, Sokolovsky, Rokossovsky, Vatutin and Konev: "The legend of the Germans that Soviet troops are allegedly unable to wage a successful offensive in the summertime has been dispelled. . . . Death to the German invaders!"

Intoxicated with joy, the citizens of Moscow lapsed into a holiday mood for the first time since the war began. The Red capital reverberated to twelve volleys .of artillery from 120 guns, a six-minute salute to the troops who won the twin victories.

Two Offensives. Pursuing the same strategy that carried them from Stalingrad to Kharkov last winter, the Russians had waited until the German drive on Kursk spent itself, then had launched a mighty counterattack. This quickly developed into a two-pronged offensive--actually two offensives -- along a 300-mile front. One prong jabbed hard at the heels of the Germans routed at Orel, liberated hundreds of Russian villages and advanced toward Bryansk. Farther to the north, other Russian forces stabbed southwest from Vyazma toward the main Nazi base at Smolensk.

From Belgorod the second prong, led by tanks and motorized columns, slashed southwestward to push swiftly across the flat steppes northwest of Kharkov. The speed was so great in some sectors that the Germans abandoned much heavy equipment in the flight. Some mobile units raced to within 16 miles of Kharkov, one encircled several Nazi garrisons. A powerful secondary drive starting from Chuguev, 25 miles southeast of Kharkov, threatened a new pincers squeeze on the Ukrainian stronghold.

All along the front the massed strength of the Red Air Force proved a heavy factor in blasting paths through the German defenses. At Kharkov and Bryansk, the Russians reported, many German trains were destroyed from the air and more than 30 fires were started.

Russian communiques claimed enormous German losses. Between July 5 and Aug. 5, they said, the Red Army killed 120,000 enemy officers and men and destroyed 4,605 tanks, 1,623 guns, 11,000 lorries and 2,492 planes. For the same period the Russians claimed the capture of 12,418 German officers and men, 621 tanks, 875 guns, 2,521 machine guns, 325 supply dumps. Not listed in the communiques, but of great value to the Soviet Union, was the recovery of the direct rail link between Moscow, Tula, Orel, Kursk and Belgorod. Russian losses were heavy, too, but relatively lighter than in previous summer campaigns, especially as they were incurred in a successful advance.

The massed strength of the two opposing armies is more concentrated than any previously engaged on a single front in World War II. Russian forces are estimated at about 1,500,000 men, with perhaps 5,000 to 6,000 tanks. The retreating Germans are believed to number about 900,000, with 4,500 to 5,000 tanks. The numbers involved are somewhat less than those engaged in the great Russian offensive last winter, but the armies are now fighting along a 300-mile front, as compared with a 1,200-mile front then.

Two Objectives. The Russian push toward Bryansk, if successful, would open the path to Smolensk as well as yield the Russians control over the six main rail roads radiating from Bryansk. The pincers movement converging on Kharkov threat ens the German-occupied Donets basin, most valuable prize of the Nazis in Russia.

Pushing south and west from Kharkov, the Red Army will emerge onto open, forest-free flatland ideal for swift, grand-scale tank maneuvers and mobile warfare. The Germans already fear the loss of this year's harvest in the Ukraine. Trapped by a push that threatens to reach the southern anchor of the Dnieper line and the Crimea, they would be up against a more fearful strategic problem: to retreat would mean giving up their greatest prize; to stand and fight it out would be risking annihilation of approximately 400,000 men.

The Germans recognized the Red Army's ultimate objective when they abandoned Orel without committing their reserves. That grand objective is not the Ukraine, or even Berlin. It is the destruction of the Wehrmacht.

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