Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image

GOLIKOFF HOODWINKS GERMAN COMMANDER

KHARKOV TRIUMPH

Attack From North Instead Of From East X.Z. Press Association. —Copyright Rec. 2.30 p.m. LONDON, Feb. 17. The triumph of the strategy whereby Kharkov, a city of normally 1,000,000 people, fell is told by Reuters Moscow correspondent. Colonel-General. Golikoff completely hoodwinked the German commander, who expected that the brunt of the final assault would come from the east side of the city, where he had concentrated his main forces. General Golikoff, sweeping around the Germans to the rear, cut the two remaining railways which were m German hands, leading out of Khar-. kov to the west and south-west. The Russians then launched their main attack from the north instead of from the east. Soviet cavalry, standing in readiness south of Kharkov, at Taranovka, galloped a dozen miles on Saturday night and cut the Kharkov-Dnepropetrovsk railway. Troops under General Moskalenko simultaneously made a surprise attack from the north, and, having thrust to Zolocheve. General Moskalenko turned his divisions m thentracks and marched south-east straight against Kharkov. Garrison Half Encircled After covering many miles by forced marches, General Moskalenko's men at dawn on. Sunday reached the near approaches to Kharkov, whose inhabitants could hear their shouts. The German garrison was then half encircled. , The Soviet air force then entered the battle with mass raids against the defences, while troops attacked from all sides. The Germans never had a chance of taking up positions outside Kharkov. They found their lines of retreat eastward blocked by Soviet cavalry, tanks and ski troops. The Russians, in a driving snow storm, entered the city proper on Monday from the north-west, north and east. The Storm Troops' garrison fought fiercely from house to house, the struggle',for the State Bank lasting 24 hours. Sixteen months ago it took the Germans six weeks of bitter fighting to take the, city, which the Russians have retaken after a final assault lasting only three days. /• * . s • The Daily Telegraph Moscow cor-, respondent, says the Germans had no time to wreck Kharkov and the Russians captured' immense stocks of ammunition. • v Axis Railways Disrupted The capture 6f Kharkov is described in London military circles as having disrupted the whole German rail communications on that part of the front, and confirms reports that the Germans are now m f.ull retreat on the whole of the front from Kursk to Taganrog. "The present victories, backed by such reserves; naturally inspire fresh confidence in Moscow. They are a blunt demand for a second front. They explain the frankness with which the Russian claims to the Baltic States and Bessarabia are now advanced in the Soviet Press.. They raise questions of the future in the minds even of those who belong to the 'win the war first', school: of thought. They are' a spectacular' reminder that the war is being won every day, and that the United Nations are pretty late—that the United States in particular is pretty -late—in agreeing on the kind of world and. the kind of security they intend to establish when the fighting is over." In the Donetz Bend, the Germans have put very strong forces into the Stalino corner, and so far have been able to keep the mouth of the sack open. In the Caucasus the Germans are still holding their bridgehead on the Tamanskaya Peninsula,; and it is likely that a certain number of their troops have got away, but the conditions of withdrawal must be difficult.

This article text was automatically generated and may include errors. View the full page to see article in its original form.
Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS19430218.2.65

Bibliographic details

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 41, 18 February 1943, Page 6

Word Count
574

GOLIKOFF HOODWINKS GERMAN COMMANDER Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 41, 18 February 1943, Page 6

GOLIKOFF HOODWINKS GERMAN COMMANDER Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 41, 18 February 1943, Page 6