GROWING SUPREMACY OF RED MR FORCE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 45, 23 February 1942, Page 5

GROWING SUPREMACY OF RED MR FORCE

TOLL OF GERMANS

Winter Campaign Now At

Its Summit

U.P.A. and British Wireless. Rec. 1 p.m. LONDON, Feb. 22. Russian air superiority on the eastern front is seen in the Soviet night communique, which records the destruction of 25 enemy planes on Friday for the loss of three. Fourteen were brought down in aerial combat and 11 were destroyed on the ground. Yesterday German planes were brought down near Moscow. The communique also records stubborn land fighting yesterday, during which the Russians advanced and occupied several localities. On Thursday 24 enemy aircraft were shot down in air fighting and seven destroyed on the ground. The Russians lost 12 machines. The Soviet air unit on February 19 inflicted heavy damage on the enemy, including the dispersing of four enemy infantry battalions. An army unit commanded by General Lysenko during four days killed over 800 and captured a large quantity of materials. Wreckage Left By Enemy A British correspondent on the Russian front, west of Maloyaroslavets, says toe track; of the German retreat is strewn with disabled tanks wrecked lorries and abandoned field guns in deep snow which lies everywhere, hindering the work of the repair crews, who are working day and night to repair the damaged tanks. From time to time one comes across big German cemeteries, which speak of the heavy toll taken by the Soviet troops, guerilla bands and ski patrols.

Burned villages and blown-up railways and bridges are conspicuous landmarks or the German retreat, the correspondent adds. The chairman of the Maloyaroslavets district said the damage to property in his district would amount to 40,000,000 roubles. It included nearly 2000 buildings burned down in the towns and villages. Maloyaroslavets itself, however, was comparatively intact, as the Red Army had surprised the Germans two days before they planned to retreat. The Germans tried, like Napoleon, to withdraw along the Kaluga highway, but, like him, had been forced to take the old Smolensk road. A trail of blood and plunder marked the German retreat. About 10,000 people including 50 children, have keen killed i in cold blood. Enemy's Winter Casualties Delegations of workers from all the peoples of the Soviet Union have arrived at the front to greet the troops on the occasion of the Red Army anniversary - The Moscow newspaper Pravda says: "The German Army to-day is far from the same as in July. It lost from December 6 to Januarv 15 alone about 300,000 soldiers anil officers killed. The spirit of Hitler's army has been broken, but in order to rout the German forces completely the Red Army and the whole of the Soviet people must strain every nerve."'

The frustration of Hitler's proposed spring offensive, resulting in the complete crushing of the enemy in 1942, is forecast by the Soviet Army newspaper Red Star. It says: "Enemy talk of a spring offensive is premature. The -winter campaign is at its summit. Over a dozen German divisions will be buried in the snow and we will advance far to the westward before the spring.

German power and technique are 1 now weaker than last summer while the Russian Army and industry are more powerful The-British' and Russian resources of manpower ar greater than those of Germany and her allies, while the tfntish-American aid to the Soviet is growing ceaselessly. Doubtless, also ( the military efforts of our Allies' will grow, and we are aiming at the speediest way to rout the enemy"

Poor German Physique i . . A G? 1 ™ 11 senior army surgeon told the commander of a Soviet infantry division that only 15 per cent of German soldiers are entirelv fit for service, while 40 per cent have slight defects, and the re mamder are unfit to carry on for more than a short time.

Advanced units of Russians thrusting Novgorod crossed the old Latvian border says the Sunday Stockholm correspondent. The sians are now 100 miles from RigT ■btSOPV Rus L ian columns pushing west from the Shelon River and north-west from" Toropets are ruTh ing toward Latvia in wder to reln£r* } he adv anced forces and ro" solidate conquered positions. EatSu^? are cooperating with 3.f Rus sians and several fiercelvT h o e S° v '« newspaper Red Star the Germans have thrown in a great 1 number of tanks in an attempt to halt the advance. *««i»v w