RUSSIANS TAKING BREATHING SPELL

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 36, 12 February 1943, Page 3

RUSSIANS TAKING BREATHING SPELL

GERMAN STATEMENT

Battle For Slavyansk And Rostov Continues

N.Z. Press Association.—Copyright Rec. 1.15 p.m. LONDON, Feb.-11. The- Germans say the Russians are taking a breathing spell from Slavy ansk to Rostov, but this is only relatively true, as Russian guns continue.; pounding the eastern end of this 'bulge, which contains the important".;,t6wns of Shakhtui, Novocherkask" and, Rostov. The Russians have large resources of men and material in this area, but it is not yet clear whether they intend to haisten the race' for the reduction of these towns or.. merely "contain" them while the main operations are completed for closing the exits west of the industrial basm. Fiercer in Krasnodar Area The Russian operations are becoming fiercer in the Krasnodar area. The Germans admit their inability to liquidate the Russian landing near Novorossisk, the important sea port on the Black Sea coast, which is. now described as being reinforced and becoming dangerous.

Moscow radio reports that the air arm of the Black Sea Fleet operating in the Northern Caucasus, kill 900 Germans in a single day and shot down four .planes which x attempted to interfere. Next day, the Russian pilots routed and partly wiped 0 large infantry unit, Wew up two ammunition dumps and destroyed: a number of anti-aircraft guns ana lorries • To-night's Moscow communique announces the capture of the imp tant town and rail junction of Los vaya, about 60 miles southofKharkov, on tiie railway to the bea Azov. Summer Equipment Being Xjsed According to the Berlin correspon dent of the newspaper Social Democraten, arma inent production originally marked for the summer offensive is being immediately thrown m on the eastern front in an effort to tip the scales in the Nazis f a J°ur German High Command its faith on its hopes that the Soviet offensive will soon be spent the Germans will be able _to parity in men and materials.