RUSSIANS FREE BRYANSK

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23535, 13 January 1942, Page 3

RUSSIANS FREE BRYANSK

Thrust Into Hitler’s Lines Deepens

BITTER BATTLES RAGE IN CRIMEA (Received January 12, 11.20 p.m.) (U.P.A.-8.0.W.) LONDON, January 12. : Nearly all sectors of the Eastern Front figure in to-day’s story of the Russian advance, 1 The. most important gain is to the south-west of Moscow, where the Russians, using ski troops, sledge divisions, and masses of cavalry, have made their deepest thrust into Hitler’s lines with the recapture of Lyudiqovo, 40 miles north of the important railway junction of Bryansk, and Tichanovo Pustin, 10 miles north-west of Kaluga. This new advance means that Orel, 200 miles south of Moscow and the pivot of the German line, has been outflanked, and that Bryansk, centre of Russian communications with the Ukraine, is freed. The occupation of Balaklava, 10 miles south of Sebastopol, is reported by the Vichy News Agency. This new success in the Crimea, it says, was achieved after a 24hour battle. This means that the Russians now dominate the whole southern extremity of the Crimea. The agency adds that large Russian contingents last Thursday landed at Mihalavsk Ivanovsk, south of Eupatoria, and that bitter fighting is raging in this region for control of the road from Eupatoria to Simferopol. On the Leningrad front the Russians are continuing to advance towards Novgorod, the important road junction 100 miles south of Leningrad.

According to the Ankara radio, Germany is training between 700,000 and 800,000 new troops for an offensive against Russia in the spring. Hitler has ordered considerable sections of the occupation forces in France and Jugoslavia to transfer their quarters to the east in order to participate in the offensive. The Ankara radio added that the Germans would probably make a stand against the Russians on a line through Novgorod, Smolensk, Bryansk, Poltava, and Dnepropetrovsk. An advance of 40 miles is, represented by the capture of Lyudlnovo, north of Bryansk. The Soviet communique announcing this success, said: “On January II our troops continued their advance in a number of sectors, circumventing the enemy’s resistance and destroying him. The enemy suffered heavy losses in men and material. “Our troops occupied a number of localities, among them the town of Lyudinovo and the important railway junction of Tichanovo Pustin, 10 miles north-west of Kaluga. “On January 10, 11 German aircraft were destroyed. Our losses were two.”

The retreating German* hlV* trampled and hardened the snow, enabling the Russians to make fast progress. The Germans are apparently making a new stand near the highway* The correspondent goes on to lay that the position of General Zhukov'i right arm threatening Rzhev is Ainchanged, as the Russian preparations for a determined onslaught are apparently not yet complete. Some reports suggest that the Germans have brought reinforcements to Rzhev from the west, whither they had retired for the winGerman and Hungarian reinforce* merits are also believed to have been brought to the Ukraine, and especially to Kharkov, in order to meet the shock of Mershal Tlmoshenko * resumed «- fensive. German spokesmen are anxious concerning the UJorwne, wherejlm long, open stretches Invite outflanking movements. ■ German anxiety abbut tbe Grimw # ■ even more pronounced. The pOfinOn of the German troops thete to become catastrophic. topol garrison is now pressing we bfseigers bard, while fresh MyidWfa id, the east and west are isenoiudy HMWiB-i ing the pieman lifeline to the narrow Perekop Isthmus, -Finns Dtaloflgad The Moscow radio; that Russian forces in a dislodged Finniah. troops « way station* and also portant forced Pinna, it ahanfjhifg. quantities of, arms mitanil* : The Btescpw radio aUo further advances on the front 1 j It says tbgt Russian, forces J»dw General Fedyuriinsky have , captured strategically important approach*#!© a town on the Leningrad front, and that heavy fighting is proceeding* Elsewhere the Germans have beemdislodged from numeroui fortified posts. Hundreds of it ad4sjw surrendering without offering- tnM*n,,lzvestia” reports that the Russian Air Force is dealing heavier blowa against the enemy m Karelia. _ 08© formation one night made 29. raids M Finnish positions, on which SOOTfS or tons of bombs were draped. A successful Russian- air attack it recorded in the region of a towx-fiflif-nated “K." wherell Oanwtjaaro; planes war* destroyad on the ground and three while landmgon Wf ground. They included W Massarsehmtu lw a ■ The latest Berlin comrawniauep fit*' tempt to excuse the German retreat, but make no mention of the .heavy casualties, which would be had nawi at home. 'The Genpans, Berlin claims, are “allowing the enemy to abtd hit' blood against German gefenalve action.” Then, at the right moment, the Germans will go offentivt egain. At present they are adopt-; ing defensive tactics because Of the whiter.” Germans* Hardships The British radio says that German troops are engaged in heavy defensive fighting in bitter cold and sometimes snowstorms. They are obliged to repulse fierce Russian onslaughts. The bleak prospect facing the Carman soldier as Russia's true, winter begins is underlined by articles ill German newspapers. ■ A writer in the “Voelklscher Boobachter” says: "The situation Of the German soldier in the east is much the same as in the trenches in some of the worst sectors of the Western Front during the last war." The temperature in “Sunny Crimea;** according to the “Hamburger Fromdenblatt,” is 40 degrees below zero. Illusions about the "Bolshevik Riviera? were lost long ago. “Supply columns march through ice and storm,” it says, “tile Black Sc* bears Russian destroyers which bombard the coastal road, in the sky are Russian night bombers, and from tbf foggy gorges come shpek troops it dawn up to pur trenches," Germans By-Passed A Soviet supplementary cemmunlque states: “In one sector of the western front a Soviet unit carried out a by-pass manoeuvre and annihilated the Germans in the by-passed position. Four hundred Germans were killed, and the Soviet troops captured two tanks, three guns, 12 machine-guns, 20 cases of ammunition, and five lorries. “Three Red Army men carried out a successful patrol action, destroying a staff car and killing two German officers and capturing important operation documents. During their return they captured three lorries with one gun and killed the sentry in charge of the lorries. “In the village of Ostrov, in the Leningrad area, Fascists robbed houses in which 622 aged invalids were staying. During the one and a hill months’ occupation more than 100 invalids died of starvation. During their retreat the Germans B*t the houses ofi fire and 25 perl-.hed in the flames." The “Red Star" declares; “The hour is not far distant when, the Siberian Army will be called in to deal a new crushing blow against the Fascist hordes.” A message from Peshawar states that Russia’s striking power is increasing with the growth of big new armies in the republics of Kirghiz and Tadzhik, and also Trans-Caspian Russia. Men over 21 are being called up, and tens of thousands of men over 40 are being recruited for civil duties.

Details of the deep penetration into the German front are given in a supple" ment to the communique. Apparently referring to the announcement of the capture of Lyudinovo, the communique says: “In one sector our cavalry penetrated deep into the German lines, cutting off the Germans occupying 19 localities. Much booty was taken and 1800 Germans killed. “In the Leningrad sector 600 Germans were killed and nine tanks and 10 lorries destroyed,” How far Russian cavalry have penetrated behind the German lines is seen from the fact that Lyudinovo is 130 miles south-west of Mozhaisk and 100 miles north-west of Orel, both of which are still in German hands. The southern arm of the "Russian pincers movement aiming to trap the Germans at Mozhaisk has made a considerable advance with the capture of Lyudinovo. The enemy is suffering heavy losses, especially in the Moscow sector. On Saturday 1400 Germans were killed in one part of this front, and, after stubborn fighting, the Russians recaptured 61 inhabited districts. German losses in the last two months are put at 1.500.000 killed or captured, and 3000 Threat to Mozhaisk From Kuibishev it is reported that 150.000 Germans are threatened with encirclement in the Russian pincers movement round Mozhaisk. The points of the pincers are about 100 miles apart, and aim to converge on the Mos-cow-Smolensk road west of Mozhaisk. It is also reported from Kuibishev that Russian forces have advanced 12 miles to the west in the Malo Yaroslavets sector, retaking 30 villages and townships. After two months of German attacks, this report adds, the Russians have taken the offensive in the Ribachi Peninsula, in the far north. Red Army Alpine troops attacking under heavy fire have regained control of the range of mountains. The former headquarters of the Nazi General Schmidt, 80 miles behind the front line in the Tikhvin sector, on the Leningrad front, have been occupied by Russian forces. The general’s personal effects were found in a large dug-out with modern furnishings, including wallpaper. The Stockholm correspondent of “The Times" says that the Russians are continuing their advance through Mosalsk and Serpeisk. west of Kaluga, and their gains already bring them within range of the Moscow-Yukhnov highway. Berlin, he adds, admits that the Russian progress is a result largely of local encircling movements inducing the Germans to retire to avoid being caught in pockets.