Pacific News-Review
Notes And Comment On
The Progress Of The War
From July 15 To August 16
July 15.—The Germans, having rossed the lower reaches of the Don, in great strength, north-east of Rostov, are now pouring into the Caucasus region and threatening ■ Rostov and Stalingrad. The Russian armies on the Upper Don and around Stalingrad are holding firm, how ever. The general situation is critical.
July 15.—Rommel Panzer divisions from Libya are still held firmly by the British Bth Army on the El Alamein front. The Eighth Army is being heavily reinforced, especially by Americans. The British maintain air superiority and are so heavily batter ing Rommel’s communications that he is having great difficulty in getting supplies and reinforcements.
July 16.—The public of Britain and United States, appreciating Russia’s critical situation and the need for keeping Russian armies fighting, are raising an increasing clamour for the opening of a second front in Europe.
July 16.—Repeated waves of sabo tage are reported from the German occupied countries, especially France.
The Germans are taking brutal mea sures to discourage sabotage and are seizing and shooting large numbers of hostages, but the underground revolt against the Germans increases steadily in volume.
July 17.—Evidence accumulates that the Japanese have gathered enormous forces in Manchukuo and most ob servers are confident that Japan will attack Russia through Siberia as soon as the German attack on Russia has reached a certain stage.
July 18.—A heavy tank battle raged on the El Alamein front in Egypt, during Thursday and Friday, but without any notable advantage to either side.
July 18.—Allied newspapers declare that Allied shipping losses are so heavy that they have created a critical situation. Lack of transport may yet be the bottleneck which will cripple the Allies’ war effort.
July 22.—1 n continuation of their nightly attacks upon industrial points in western Germany, 300 RAF bom bers last night again attacked the Ruhr district. These heavy attacks are causing enormous damage.
July 22.—Small Japanese force landed at Gona Mission, on north-east coast of Papua and under heavy bom bardment from Allied planes, com menced their advance towards the Kokoda valley.
July 23.—Moscow announces that the Germans are at the gates of Rostov and are attacking from the west, the north and the east.
July 24.—The Germans have cap tured Rostov and still are advancing into the Caucasus region; but further north at Voronej, powerful Russian forces are advancing and have made important gains.
Now that the enemy has broken through on the Lower Don front, and is penetrating the Caucasus, it appar ently is Russia’s intention to firmly hold the line of the Upper Don and Lower Volga—a powerful defensive position which bars the way into the
heart of Russia. While the Russians hold this position they cannot be broken—although the loss of the Caucasus region with its great oil fields represents a major disaster. If the Russians have not accumulated a great reserve of oil in the Urals re gion their armies must be crippled.
July 25.—Japanese planes to-night raided Townsville., Little damage was done.
July 27.—Over 500 RAF bombers last night blasted the industrial districts and docks of Hamburg. Damage is believed to have been enormous. We lost 29 planes.
July 28.—Allied and Japanese forces have been skirmishing in the Kokoda Valley. The Allies firmly hold the mountain passes against any further Japanese advance.
July 29. —There has been consider able severe fighting on the El Alamein front in Egypt, but no change in the general situation.
July 30.—Moscow radio says “This is Russia’s gravest hour”. The news in dicates a slow, fiercely-resisted but steady German advance into the area of the Caucasus and Lower Volga.
July 30.—The RAF bombers last night blasted the German city of Saarbrucken.
August I.—The attack by RAF bom bers on Dusseldorf last night is described as “one of the most devas tating raids in history”. Dusseldorf was ablaze from end to end. RAF lost 30 bombers and one fighter.
August 3.—Moscow radio announces that Russia, Britain and United States are agreed regarding the creation of a second front in Europe in 1942, so that Germany will be confronted with 15,000,000, men, 85,000 tanks, 100,000 guns, and 50,000 aircraft.
August s.—The All-India Committee of Congress Party is assembling at Bombay to consider—and probably adopt—Gandhi’s plan for civil dis obedience in order to force the British to leave India. Grave tension is re ported.
August 6.—German columns, having deeply penetrated the Caucasus re gion, are turning southwards against the Russian armies in the foothills of the Caucasus mountains and north eastwards against Stalingrad.
August B.—lt is announced that the Japanese, in recent weeks, have 9ccupied three small groups of small islands in the Arafura Sea, between Dutch New Guinea and Darwin— namely, Tenimber, Kei, and Aro.
August B.—Congress Party in Bom bay passed by overwhelming majority a resolution in favour of civil dis obedience, and a demand that the British quit India.
August 9.—The British authorities in India, acting swiftly and firmly, have arrested 54 Congress Party leaders, including Gandhi, Nehru and Dr. Azad, and all have been sent away by train for internment in an isolated place. All preparations have been made for an outbreak of violence, especially rioting by mobs.
August 10.—United States naval and air forces, assisted by Australian units, after long and careful prepara
tion, launched a powerful offensive against Japanese in the Tulagi section of the Solomon Islands. (For fuller details, see article on page 5.) August 10.—Although Russians are holding the front on the Upper Don, the position on the Caucasian front has become progressively worse. The Germans claim the capture of two important oil centres.
August 11.—Serious rioting is re ported from many parts of India, but it is disorganised and sporadic in character and the authorities appear to have the situation well in hand.
August 12.—1 n the course of wide spread naval operations in the Medi terranean, the result of the British trying to force supply convoys through to Malta and Alexandria, the British air-craft carrier “Eagle” was sunk. Most of the complement was saved.
August 13.—The Russians, while still holding the Don-Volga-Stalingrad front, appear to have slowed up the Russian advance in the Caucasus and the position, while still extremely grave, is a little better.
August 13.—Disturbances in India have died away and the authorities appear to have the situation well in hand.
August 13.—The battle is still pro ceeding in the Solomon Islands.
American marines appear to have landed in Tulagi and nearby islands.
Allied losses have been severe, as the result of stubborn enemy resistance.
Meanwhile, Allied air-craft have carried out effective raids on enemy shipping and on positions in New Guinea and Timor Sea areas.
August 16.—Announced that Ameri can marines are making satisfactory progress in the consolidation of their shore positions on Tulagi, Guadal canal, Gela and Malaita, in the Solomon Islands.
August 16.—The British and Indian Governments appear to be in com mand of the situation in India, with the Congress Party leaders in gaol, and the Moslem Party “sitting on the fence”. Some Congress spokesmen are urging the Moslems to join with them in the formation of a pro visional Government—which, presum ably, would be anti-British.
August 16.—The Russians defending Stalingrad now are reported to be in a more serious position, owing to a German break-through south of the city, and a strong German drive from the south-west.