1941-07-19 — Page 4

Saturday,

THE ARMED

OF SOVIET

ARMY

Hitler in sometimes credited with the ambition to accomplish two feats which Napoleon failed to achieve, to subdue Russia and to invale England. Yet so far the megalomania of the Nazi Fuehrer has proved to be intensely practical, and to-day there exist more than one rea-

paigns Hitler undertook, how ever much he altered his dispo- sitions, a great army was an- chored on the Russian frontier and a considerable proportion of the Luftwaffe kept watch with it, because he dared not remove either.

then only, he might argue, could

he afford to turn his back upon

were not

HONGKONG TELEGRAPH

July 19, 1941.

FORCES RUSSIA

The actual strength and quality of the fighting forces of the U.S.S.R. have been variously. estimated by observers, with con- flicting results. In view of the fina resistance which the Soviet have shown against the Nazis, it seems that Russia's armed might is greater than is generally believed. The messages on this page are from the Military, Aeronautical and Naval Correspondents of "The Times,"

AIR FORCE

even

WAS PIONEER

east.

DISTRICT CONTROLS

.

NAVY

The Soviet Government' for some years past have been ex- ceedingly reticent about the de- tails of the Russian Navy, and all the books of reference con- fess to much uncertainty regard- ing the accuracy of the informa- tion they give about It.

It contains. four old battle- ships, launched in 1911 but mo-'

SUBMARINES

mo-

son why he should turn on his Like the other Services, the many and Russia the land part dernised of recent years, and associnte of the early stages of Soviet Air Force has been de- of the Air Force is subservient five old cruisers, one of which

to the Army,

was no less than 14 years in the the war. All through the chang veloped under a clonk of seercey.

building. In addition to these In normal times the Soviet there are four 8,000-ton modern ing struggle, despite develop- It is known that the Soviet has ments which would have label- been hard at work for years try Air Force is situated in two cruisers armed with 7-in. guns separated areas-one a weapon not to be found in led the prophet who foretold ing to build up a huge force, but widely them two years ago as a mad- what that effort has produced is east and the other west of Lake any other navy--but one of Baikal. Owing to the vast ex them is believed not to be yet man, there has been one con- somewhat doubtful.

tent of the country and the completed; and one light cruiser stant factor. Whatever cam-

communications- con or 3,000 tons armed with 5-in. Probably Russia has some- limited where about 10,000 Service air- necting cast and west, it is not guns.. completed in Italy in craft of all types, with a front- wither aren at the expense of the

the normal custom to reinforce 1939.

line strength of 5,000′ machines. other, so that for all practical The rather impressive total is purposes they are separate It is about the Russian flotil- The larger command, la, however, that there is the apt to be misleading, however, forces, for many of the types are ob- totalling about 5,000 machines, greatest uncertainty. Or

obsolete, is maintained in the west, and dern flotilla leaders and des and solescent while it is generally believed about 2,000 machines in the troyers, armed with 6-in. guns and comparable to the latest If Hitler should now he con- that she has no great reserves,

German boats, there are be There is also a naval air arm lieved to be some 50 built, build- templating a knock-out blow that the general standard of her against Britain this year, he pilots and flying crews is not and an independent air unit, the ing and projected; but there is

function of which is to defend

No agreement regarding the may well have said to himself high, that the workmanship in important industrial centres.

number that should be placed in that the summer was yet young the factory and maintenance

each of these categories. There and that he could not better em- units is not up to Western

are also a number of older tor- ploy the next few weeks thau in standards, and that her rate of

Army aviation comes under pedo craft. so mauling the U.S.S.R. that it production is small by compari-

The total number of sub- fence, and the two forces are could be left out of account for son with the huge industry the People's Commissar for De-.

divided into a number of dis- marines is put at some 170, of the rest of the year. Then, and which has been built up.

trict controls; while the naval which about 50 are believed to arm is at the disposal of the be "Malodki"-small submar- in many respects the Russian units of the Fleet based in the ines of no more than 200 tons those vast. forces, and above all Air Force bears a striking re- Baltic, Black Sea, Pacific, Cas- surface displacement. The latest upon that heavy air arm.

semblance to Germany's Luft- pian, Northern, Dnieper, and issue of "Jane's Fighting 'Ships" Even if immediate invasion of waffe. Russia was the pioneer Amur. Russia is supposed to includes a photograph of one of Britain

his aim, of carrying troops and war ma- possess one aircraft-carrier, the these, but it seems doubtful if

and Germany Stalin, his schemes in the Middle terial by air,

a ship of 9,000 tons, there are really so many of East might be facilitated by copied and improved upon the capable of carrying 32 aircraft, them. rendering Russia impotent to technique, The Soviet also led and two larger aircraft-carriers It seems on the whole unlike- interfere with them. It can be the way in training parachute are believed to be under con- ly that naval operations will said with confidence that this troops, and here again Germany struction.

play any great part in a Russo- Russin was the view of his attitude followed suit. It was

The whole of the Air Force German war. Germany taken by the best-informed which carried light tanks by air. authorities in this country, and The Russians have great num- is under the command of Lieu- poses of no warships in the that to them his action has come bers of trained parachute troops; tenant-General of Aviation Pa- Bluck Sea-except the tiny Ru- some people put the figure as vel Vasilievich Richagov, who manian Navy-unless she has as no surprise.

high as 100,000. Both in Ger- bears the title of Hero of the built submarines or other small Soviet Union. He has held that craft in Danube ports. In the Baltic she has, presumably, the position since October, 1940.

battleship Tirpitz, the one re- The Soviet Air Force lost muining undamaged pocket bat- of its officers and cx- tleship, the aircraft-carrier Graf many perienced men in the "purge" Zeppelin, and possibly one Sin. of 1937-38, and although picked cruiser together with a few des- As to the Finnish campaign, pilots and crews gave quite a troyers-not a very formidable themselves in force to face the bulk of the cracies of the world. It has the only recent test to which the good account of always been a matter of dif- Red Army has recently been Spain and Finland the general Soviet Fleet. ficulty to estimate Germany's submitted, all that can usefully standard of efficiency has suf-

DEFENSIVE ROLE exact situation as regards the be said is, that the gross mis- fered through lack of good

German communications with supply of oil, but it is generally management manifest at the leaders. The training facilities .to be rather believed that she has of late start was remedied before the also appear

or even Finland,

the supplies narrow end, though with the aid of im- haphazard and inadequate, rely-

she receives been operating on

from Sweden, mense superiority in numbers ing to a considerable extent on margin.

might perhaps prove a tempting and material. There was in- civilian schools.

objective for the Russian tor- Finally, politics cannot be left deed witnessed in the final

In a protracted war lack of pedo eraft or cruisers. But, on out of account. Hitler may be- stages a carefully planned co-

defensive role lieve that T anti-Bolshevist ordination between the efforts high-class pilots and crews is the whole, a campaign will cool American of the land forces and the air likely to prove a serious handi- seems a more likely one for the

cap, though civilian flying has Soviet Baltic forces. ardour and reanimate that of arm.

been developed in the Union to

The German naval command Vichy. If so he is certainly

such an extent that large num- wrong in the first respect.

bers of men and women could be has declared "dangerous areas" for shipping in the Arctic, from war The expenditure of munitions transferred for

duties. Where this country is con- cerned our military

course is was believed to have been great From time to time it has been the Finnish frontier eastwards, the Baltic, except for Swedish clear. If we required spurring enough to exercise a crippling rumoured that Russian women to fresh resolution the spur effect on Russian policy in the already hold Air Force ranks. territorial waters and a three- would be found in this fresh months that followed, but a year proof of what a pact means to and a quarter of accelerated Hitler and of the folly of trying production must surely have re-

HITLER'S NEEDS

The second reason is, of with the expansion of industry course, Hitler's desire-perhaps and the extra demands which his urgent need-to acquire con- war makes upon it, Russia has trol of the chief material re- more men thun she can arm. sources of Russia in order to subjugate the two great demo-

RUSSIAN DIVISIONS

to make any agreement with paired that damage.

.

FIGHTERS AND BOMBERS

dis-

mile strip along the German const for traffic, and the Black Sea, with the exception, of a 10- For collaboration with the mile strip along the Turkish Army Russia maintains air coast. Shipping is warned that him. We must also confront At the moment there are be- units consisting of fighters, des- any ship in those areas "risks the situation without attempt lieved to be from 140 to 160 troyers, ground-attack ma- destruction through mines or

Russian divisions facing, about chines, reconnaissance aircraft, other war measures." 120 German and a few Rumani- and medium and heavy bombers. an. The Air Force, which is The fighters are the 115, 116,

ing to deceive ourselves.

THE DANGER

Of special interest is the pro-

aircraft

and obsolete and

Our danger is not diminished dealt with more fully elsewhere, and 117, but there have been Though slow

the German by

action. We is probably numerically as rumours of a new fast type, probably unfit for serious bomb. may, it is true, gain considera- strong 18 the Luftwaffe, but very similar in appearance to ing work, it can carry an ex ble advantages from it if we quality counts at least as much the Spitfire. Whether this is tremely heavy lond. Most of bestir ourselves to take them, in the air us on land. The ar- actually in service is not known, the other aircraft, including but if Hitler has reasoned as moured formations, if numbered The 116, which is used in the those attached to the Fleet, are suggested above it must frankly consecutively, must also appro- greatest numbers, has a speed of old and out of date. be admitted that the argument ximate to those of Germany, only 248 m.p.h. and is lightly

LUFTWAFFE has weight behind it. Were the with the same proviso. The armed, but a new version, the Germans in fact to administer a parachute troops may be even 118, is credited with the still For some weeks Germany has knock-out blow to Russia than more numerous.

modest top speed of 260 m.p.h. been moving aircraft and our situation would be, not im-

All the Russian fighters have a ground staffs towards the Rus- proved, but very much worse than at present, because Hitler paganda arm of the Red Army, poor firepower, but there are sian frontler, so that she is pro-

ground-attack

fitted bably in a position to put a very could afford substantial casual- In the days of Trotsky and with eight machine-guns.

formidable force at the disposal ties in men and material if at Tukhachevsky much scientific

The chief medium, bombers of her Army, including hun- that price he put himself in a thought was devoted to its de- position to disregard the So- velopment. It is believed in are SB28, which correspond. to dreds of Ju87B and Ju88 dive- some quarters to have declined our Blenheims but are said to bombers. Many of the bombers in effectiveness under the pre- be much like the United States have been transferred from War between Russia and Ger- sent regime, but such a judg- Martin 139. Their performance bases in Northern France, Bel- many is thus not an episode ment must be largely founded is, however, unimpressive, the gium, and Holland, while others which we can afford to sit back on conjecture.

maximum speed being only have been sent forward from Unleas and watch, but a vital oppor-

about 250 m.p.l. Another Greece and Rumania. Certain it is that in the curly bomber, the DB3, has a maxi- Soviet Russia has any secret tunity for us to increase the weight of every type of military days of the Red Army propa- mum speed of 245 m.p.h,, and it new machines "up her sleeve" and economic pressure, and an ganda was considered as a wea- can carry the useful bomb-load the German Air Force should opportunity which in the nature pon, not one for use merely by of 3,300lb, over a range of 1,600 possess a great technical superi-

the political side, but an arm of miles.

ority, but it will be opposed not of things can nover return. the fighting forces: At the

only by largo numbers

vieta.

of

It is not easy to estimate the same time propaganda, however Among the heavy machines is fighters but strong anti-aircraft quality or even the numbers of skilfully handled, is not likely to a four-engined transport- batteries, of which Russia Is the Red Army. The factor of affect in victorious army while bomber, the TB3, which is not anid to possess great numbers.

linlike the German Junkers. man-power hardly counts; even it is actively engaged.

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