The Russian Defence
The results of the third German offensive reflect its pace and momentum. In the north Novgorod, which was first men- tioned on Tuesday week, and was claimed by the Germans two days later, was only abandoned by the Russians on Monday. The fall of the town, though it is only 4o miles from the Leningrad-Moscow railway, is not very important when it occurs under such conditions. The Germans are relatively little nearer Leningrad or the direct communications with Moscow than they were before its capture. The success at Gomel has been exploited to some extent, and its position at the junction of railways running north to Bryansk and south to the Kiev-Moscow line offers valuable alternatives, either of which would tend to sever Timoshenko's army from that of Budenny. (If, however, the guarded report from Stockholm that the Russians have recaptured Gomel is true the whole situation will be changed.) The main thrust still appears to be directed against Budenny. He has withdrawn the bulk of his armies across the Dnieper. The Germans claimed to have taken the " last strongholds on the Dnieper," with heavy loss, exactly a week ago. On Tuesday night, however, they claimed to have captured the city and bridgehead of Dniepropetrovsk, which was one of these strongholds. Fighting had been going on about this very important industrial centre since Saturday ; and it is possible that the German claim represents the truth. It is clear, at all events, that Russia has certainly lost valuable industrial resources to the west of the river. These, however, are long-term factors, and the Russians are fighting to gain time. The Germans are not yet reported across the lower Dnieper.
