RUSSIAN THRUST AT KURSK

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 13065, 6 February 1943, Page 3

RUSSIAN THRUST AT KURSK

HINGE PIN OF AXIS DEFENCE LINE More German Divisions Cut Off Soviet Troops Land From Black Sea London, Feb. 5. The Russian armies west of Voronezh are now thrusting strongly in the direction of the big German base at Kursk from three directions. Kursk is the hinge pin of the main German defence line between the southern and central fronts. Yesterday the Russians were only 2 5 miles away from Kursk in the north and to the east and south-east they are distant about 30 miles. In the area between Kursk and Voronezh, where several German divisions have been cut off for some time, a further 44,000 Germans have been killed, or captured in the last nine days. Our Allies are steadily wiping out the remainder. To the south of Kursk, 300 miles away, the Soviet forces are closing in on Rostov and are' threatening the whole German defence system in the Donetz basin.

The Red Army in the north-west Caucasus is engaged in a race with the retreating Germans and is endeavouring to cut them off from retreating across the Kerch Strait. Russian forces have already landed on the Black Sea coast between the Germans retreating from Novorossisk and the Kerch Strait.