Russian Army Captures German Base At Kharkov

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 40, 17 February 1943, Page 3

Russian Army Captures German Base At Kharkov

FIERCE FIGHTING IN STREETS

Victors Now Virtually Control The Vital Orel-Crimea Railway

(New Zealand Press Association.—Copyright—Rec. 11.30 a.m.) f LONDON, February 16. The Red Army, after fierce.street fighting, has captured' the city of Kharkov, the most important railway centre in Russia with the exception of Moscow. This announcement was made in a special Moscow communique issued to-night. The Russian announcement followed an earlier admission by the German High Command Russian forces had broken into the outer suburbs of the city. It is believed that the Germans defended this main base in the Ukraine to the last, and used their crack divisions in an effort to stem the Russian onslayght on the south-east section of the city. The recapture of Kharkov, the greatest buttress and pivot of what no longer exists as the German winter line, sets the stage for the destruction of the big German forces which are fighting between the city and the Don Delta. It offers, according to London military commentators, the greatest possibilities. Continuing the seizure of strategical railways, the Russians now virtually control the vital Orel-Crimea railway, which is the spinal column of the German defence in South Russia. They are now able to menace the railways to Dnepropetrovsk, Poltava and' Sumy, along which portion gf the German garrison from Kharkov is withdrawing. General Golikoff's Weste/n Thrust Threatens Sumy London commentators believe that General Golikoff's westward thrust from Kursk threatens Sumy, while Dnepropetrovsk, which is the linchpin of the arc stretching before Kiev from Konotop to Zaporzhe is endangered by the Red Army's occupation of Losovaya and Krasnoarmeysk. Thus the Dneiper line, which is believed to be the next German line of defence, is already threatened. The swift Russian drive below Kharkov suggests that the Red Army may reach the River Dneiper before the Germans have disengaged their troops from the Donetz Basin. In addition the liquidation of Orel, the hinge of the German northern and southern fronts, which General Golikoff is compromising, would further profoundly affect the German situation. According to Moscow radio the Germans are already retreating on a line from north of Kursk to the west of Rostov. The German reaction to the loss of Kharkov was indicated when the military spokesman, referring to Russian tanks penetrating the suburbs, told Swedish journalists, "We have suffered a defeat which is unprecedented in this war." The Soviet communique announcing the occupation of Kharkov stated: "In this fighting our troops routed German corps consisting of Adolf Hitler and Reich Tank Divisions, the great German Motorised Division, several infantry divisions and several special units. This operation and. routing of the enemy forces has been carried out by Soviet troops under Colonel-General Golikov."

On Ostober 26, 1941, the Germans claimed the capture of Kharkov after a four-week drive from Poltava. The .next day the Russians admitted the German advance, and on October 30 stated that the Red Army had evacuated the city. On December 19 the Germans reported that the Russians were planning a drive to recapture Kharkov, and on January 5 Marshal Timoshenko's armies were pressing forward against the Germans in the first Russian winter offensive. In January the Russians advanced 70 miles in the Ukraine during a ten-day drive, and by January 30 were threatening Kharkov with encirclement. By March 10 the Russians had surrounded the city on three sides and were hammering hard at the invaders. On March 20 Kharkov was reported to be in flames. By the end of April the big German spring offensive was expected, but Timoshenko forestalled it by commencing a Red offensive in the Kursk-Kharkov area. The offensive made fair progress, and by May 18 Russian big guns were bombarding Kharkov. In mid-June the Nazis began hurling in everything they had in their-furious drive to reach the Caucasus, and by the end of the month the Russians had begun to withdraw.

ADIMDg^

RESISTANCE IN NORTH

Retreating 1 Enemy Has Only One Railway N.Z.P.A. and British "Wireless Rec. 1 p.m. LONDON, Feb. 16. In the past 24 hours the Red Army has captured 56 towns and villages in the Eastern Donetz Basin. „ The Soviet advance in the Donetz Bend continues south-west and westward from Voroshilovgrad, Likhaya, Shaktui and Rostov. Little further progress has been made from the north, where the Russians continue to bold the advanced positions which they have gained and the Germans are offering strong resistance, though the retreating enemy have only one railway. The hard ground is facilitating his withdrawal across the country. The Germans, before evacuating Rostov, destroyed the most beautiful parts of the city, including the Maxim Gorky Theatre. Gardens around Rostov are full of German graves. The Russians, who swept around Rostov from the north, and cut the Rostov-Taganrog railway two days ago, are now approaching Taganrog. A German . High _ Command announcement summarising events along the whole front, to-riight asserted that large Russian forces with tanks and aircraft, attacked the south-eastward of Lake Ilmen, south of Leningrad. "A grim battle was waged knee-deep in water, and the local breaches made by the Russians were sealed off/* the announcement added. A Finnish communique claims that the Finns repulsed Russian motorised sledge formations who .were attempting to attack the .occupied island of Lake Onega. Paris radio declared that 25,000,000 men are engaged in the fighting on the Eastern front.

MAPS OF RUSSIA

BANNED FROM NAZI PAPERS

Rec. 2 p.m. LONDON, Feb. 16. The Exchange Telegraph Zurich correspondent quotes a Berlin report that Goebbels has ordered German newspapers to cease publishing maps of the Russian front until furthei notice.

DUTCH AT STALINGRAD

Rec. 1.30 p.m. LONDON, Feb. 16. Oslo radio says - that Mussert, the Danish Quisling, disclosed that 300 Dutch volunteers were among tne troops captured at Stalingrad.

GANDHI HAS CHILL

CONDITION GROWS WEAKER

Rec. 10 a.m. BOMBAY, Feb 16 Gandhi has contracted a chili through his insisting on spending most of the day-on the verandah of the palace where he is •fact Hi's armv of six doctors met this morning to discuss his condition and Tter it was announced that Gandhi's condition had steaclily^ete suffering from ° foilowing nausea.