MORE RUSSIAN GAINS

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23880, 24 February 1943, Page 3

MORE RUSSIAN GAINS

Increased Threat To Orel

ADVANCE TOWARDS DNIEPER

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. H p.m.) LONDON, February 23. The Red Army celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary by continuing its offensive in all key sectors of the front, though against stiff German resistance. Two more towns have been captured north-west of Kharkov, and in the advance on Orel more strongpoints have been stormed and hundreds of the enemy wiped out. In the Donets basin there is severe fighting north of Stalin, where the Germans have brought up reserves and are making strong efforts to hold up the Russian advance.

Although the Russians are pressing the Germans hard towards the Dnieper, the biggest threat to Hitler’s shaky defence line is at present to Orel, which buttresses the junction between the northern and southern sectors of the front. The Germans have thrown in division after division to stave off the menace to Orel, but Russian tanks and infantry have pressed on and are now within 20 to 23 miles of the city.

Reuter's Moscow correspondent says: “The important unidentified highway which the Russians have straddled runs from Sievsk to Kromy, 25 miles south of Orel. The city has now only one supply route by road open, which runs to the west, although there is railway communication with Bryansk. The Russians either hold or command the other railways.

"The Germans are fighting tenaciously to hold Orel, stubbornly defend- ‘ Ing every village and township. They are rushing up considerable tank, aircraft, and infantry reserves, including many recently arrived in Russia from France. "The Red Army west and south-west of Kharkov is driving deeply towards Poltava and the Dnieper, where picked Germans have been thrown in to stem the advance. The Germans have employed fresh tank reinforcements, .which have been badly mauled. Numbers of the tanks are lying destroyed behind the Russian spearheads, which are now 30 miles from the Dnieper.”

German resistance is at present most

successful in the thickly populated Donets basin, which is well roaded and well served with railways. Here they are hitting back hard to escape encirclement, especially south of Krama-t-rskaya. The Germans have piled up tank and infantry reserves in this region in order to hold their escape gap open, but General Vatoutin’s men are driving towards Stalin, splitting up the Germans into pockets. General Malinovski’s forces, passing west of Rostov towards Stalin, have breached the main' German defence line in the central Donets . basin by forcing a crossing of the Mius river and capturing Bikovo. They now hold the river for 18 miles, threatening the rear of Taganrog and Mariupol. The Stockholm correspondent of "The Times" says that the capture of Bikovo, a notable anthracite mining centre, brings the Russians near a galaxy of industrial towns, several of which are within gun range. Effects of Thaw The thaw has created difficulties for both sides, impeding but not halting the Russian advance along the whole front, although the effect- is less pronounced in the Donets basin because of its excellent communications. The Germans’ frequent counter-attacks i ave not prevented the contraction of their congested space in the Donets basin. The Russians are now perilously near important Donets basin towns, including Artemovsk, although the gap open to the west, at present 57 miles wide, remains undiminished.

known as the Russians keep a large area veiled by silence. The Berlin radio has reported that the Russians have massed strong forces for an attack near Rzhev. Narrow roads deep in mud, bitterly cold rains, . and persistent German counter-attacks are hindering the Russians in the Kuban area of the Caucasus, but the weather is also forcing the enemy to abandon hundreds of lorries.

Official German spokesmen have suddenly become more cheerful, if not really optimistic. As if authoritatively commanded, they admit that the thaw does not mean the end of the winter, but say that the mildness of the weather is a harbinger of spring with its usual mud. Therefore, an interval of relative stagnation is impending, after which will come the German summer offensive. The Rostov local Soviet has sent a letter to M. Stalin stating that the Germans killed more than 20,000 people during their occupation of the city.

Russian activity is noticeable in the Rzhev area, apparently on a large scale: but what is happening is not

RESTORING CZECH FRONTIERS

FORMAL GUARANTEE BY RUSSIA

(Rec. 9 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 22. The London correspondent of the “New York Times” (Cyrus Sulzberger) reports that it is learned from reliable Allied sources that the Soviet has formally guaranteed the Czechoslovak Government in London that it would support the reconstitution of Czechoslovakia’s pre-Munich frontiers. "This is taken to mean that the Soviet is serving notice that it is not interested in acquiring Ruthenia, ’ he says, "and it also gives a clue to Moscow’s postwar intentions.

“There has been a deal of unhealthy speculation on the possibility of M. Stalin, backed up by a victorious Red Army, seeking to acquire vast new territories. The Czechoslovakian commitment is concrete evidence supporting those diplomats who believe that the Soviet, while Insisting on the establishment of strategically safe borders after the war, is not interested further in Central European expansion. It appears to contradict emphatically the alarmist fears, which Axis propaganda has incited, that the Soviet would like to intrude beyond the Carpathians and control the central Danubian valley.”

JAPANESE IN CHINA

SALWEEN THRUST TURNED NORTH

f Kcc. 9.30 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 22. “After three times failing to cross the Salween river, the Japanese forces have turned northward, against Mangpeng.. Chinese forces intercepted them and bitter fighting is continuing.” says a Chinese communique.

Severe fighting is also reported ruulh-east of Fengchin, in the Kiangsi p evince. The Japanese have brought up reinforcements and have reached 'iangpu. Chuntsicng. and Huchcngpu. The Chinese are stubbornly resisting the invading columns.

The Tokyo radio has announced that Japanese Army and Navy forces moved into the French concession of Kwangohowan Bay. with the full understanding of the Vichy Government.

No Russian Mission to United States. —The Moscow radio has denied that Marshal Timoshenko or a Russian military mission is going to America. The Algiers radio said on February 15 that Marshal Timoshenko was reported to be heading a mission to Mr Roosevelt. A party of Russian officers were stated to have arrived at Natal, in Brazil, a few days earlier. —London, February 22.

REPORTS OF GERMAN ATROCITIES

OCCUPATION OF ROSTOV AND KHARKOV

(8.0. W.) RUGBY, Feb. 22. The Moscow radio says that the Germans, when driven out of Kharkov, attempted to take with them all ablebodied Russians, shooting those resisting. The inhabitants report that during the occupation an explosion occurred at the German Headquarters, killing a general. Two thousand civilians were then arrested and 250 were shot.

In Rostov the Germans forcibly evacuated hundreds of civilians. The Germans during the occupation of Rostov committed terrible atrocities, according to citizens. The Germans, destroyed the principal buildings in Kharkov and Rostov. The Rostov library, containing 3,000,000 books, was among the buildings destroyed. The reconquest of the vast Soviet territories is being followed with interest by Dutchmen in London because of the German plan to transfer 3,000,000 1 itchmen to southern Russia and the southern Ukraine. The German-con-trolled Dutch press continued to mention this re-settlement scheme up to the end of January. It is known that there are camps for Dutch workers at Dnepropetrovsk, Kiev, Nikolaev, and Zhitomir.

TRIBUTE TO RUSSIAN . RESISTANCE

SUCCESS ATTRIBUTED TO STALIN’S QUALITIES

(8.0. W.) RUGBY, Feb, 22. A former United States Ambassador to the Soviet Union, Mr Jbseph E. Davies, speaking at a Red Army anniversary celebration, spoke of the Russian resistance to Germany as “one of the decisive events of history.” and attributed it to the "vision, judgment, persistence, and power of a single great man—Stalin.”

No one had foreseen the Hitler menace more clearly than had M. Stalin. Marshal Voroshilov, M. Litvinov, M. Molotov, M. Mikoyan, and other great men whom he had known in Moscow six years ago, said Mr Davies. Six years ago Stalin had already declared that “the second universal war has become inevitable.” But for Stalin —who, however, disclaimed all personal credit —the great Russian industrial plants would not have existed and the Germans, upon crossing the Polish border, would not have been confronted with the tanks, guns, and aeroplanes, the weapons and equipment of the army which had prevented Hitler from sweeping over the Soviet Union, and thereby dominating and controlling Europe and Asia, and eventually Africa and the Seven Seas. “The single truth is that by these Russian campaigns the Government of the Soviet Union, the leaders of the Red Army, and the great new Soviet strategy of defence against mechanised lightning attack, have saved the liberties and homes of Mother Russia, broken the back of Hitler’s offensive, and prevented him dominating three continents, and given us the priceless gift of time to take our share in destroying this evil thing which threatened the peaceful living of people everywhere,” said Mr Davies;