he wants to have as many seasoned troops as possible for the
great campaign which will come next Spring, He stated that
the German troops seemed to be tired, and the officers and
men that they had captured had indicated they are "sick of
war ".
 
              The German reserves are as much as 400 kilometres
back of the front, and the communications between the
reserves and the front line are extremely difficult. These 
supply lines require many thousands ef German troops to guard
and protect them from Russian raids.
 
               He said that in the battle new in progress, very
many Russian and German troops are fighting far forward from
their respective lines because of the advances made by both
sides with their mechanised forces. Stalin said that his
soldiers did not consider the battle lost merely because the 
Germans at one point and another broke through with their
mechanised forces. The Russian mechanised forces would attack
at another point often moving many miles behind the German line.
Merely because German forces pierce the Russian line does not
mean the Russians are lost. They fight behind the Germans,
are adept at the use of cover and fight their way out in the
night. He said "Even the German tanks run out of petrol",
This is merely a phase of modern warfare, and accounts for the
fact that there have been no mass surrenders of troops on
either side. The Russians therefore have many "insurgent"
troops which operate behind Germany's so-called front line.
They constantly attack German aerodromes and lines of 
communications. The Russians are more familiar with the
terrain and know how to use the natural cover which nature
has provided better than the Germans. These "insurgent"
troops are proving a great menace to the German offensive.
 
                He believes that Germany under estimated the
strength of the Russian Army, and have not now enough troops
on the whole front to carry on a successful offensive war
and at the same time guard their extended lines of 
communications. He repeatedly emphasised the large number