DONETS BASIN FIGHTING

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23883, 27 February 1943, Page 5

DONETS BASIN FIGHTING

Germans Claim Successes RUSSIAN GAIN IN CAUCASUS (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 11 p.m.) LONDON. Feb. 26, In the Donets basin the fighting is heaviest north of Stalin. The Germans are directing their main efforts towards the recapture of Kramatorskaya and Krasnoarmeysk. Berlin claims that both these towns have already been retaken. but there is nothing to indicate that this claim is true. To-day’s Soviet communique reports fighting south of the two towns, and the capture of several villages east of them and south of Voroshilovgrad. Moscow reports agree that the fighting in this area is heavy. Moscow reports new successes in the Kuban area, the last German foothold in the Caucasus. The Russians have captured a township 40 miles from the Sea of Azov, thus threatening to outflank Novorossiisk.

The Germans claim an important success: in the crucial Donets basin battle—’Which governs the fate of the considerable German forces in the Stalin and Taganrog areas, who will be cut off if the Russians are able to clinch the last fortnight’s outflanking move towards the Sea of Azov. The Berlin radio said Kramatorskaya and Krasnoarmeysk were again firmly in German hands after being lightly occupied by the Russians. The recapture of Kramatorskaya and Krasnoarmeysk, if confirmed, would prove that the Germans have gained ground in a thrust from the west against the Russians, who sought a thrust towards Mariupol from the springboard gained by the Donets between Izyum and Lisilichansk. If the German claims are true, Kramatorskaya and Krasnoarmeysk are their first territorial gains for at least three months, but the map shows that this gain has been made in an area already under acute threat of outflanking by Russian forces advancing on a broad front towards the Dnieper west and south-west of Kharkov.

Reports from Berlin and Moscow agree that fighting is increasing in intensity in the whole area west and north-west of Rostov as the Germans

throw in reserves in an attempt to hold up the Russian advance. The Russians say the Germans are continually counter-attacking with the support of strong tank and air forces. Moscow radio says the battle west of Rostov is assuming a most stubborn character. The Russians have made an important advance at one point and have occupied two lines of trenches and some important heights. The enemy is making every effort to halt the Russians by raids and counterattacks. The Vichy radio, quoting a Berlin military spokesman, says the fighting between the Donets and the Dnieper has risen to a paroxysm of fury. Massive Russian attacks alternate with bitter German counter-attacks. The battle for the whole southern Ukraine is sweeping to a climax, says Reuter’s Moscow correspondent. The Germans are fighting fiercely to hold the main line protecting Mariupol, but a new threat to the city appears to be developing from the north-east, although the Russian spearheads must be still some distance away. Taganrog is already virtually isolated. The Germans there have only one way back—along the winding coast road. The Moscow correspondent of the British United Press reports that the Luftwaffe is being steadily reinforced from the Ukraine to the Black Sea. and is making a big effort to check the Russian offensive. Russian reports continue to emphasise that 31 German divisions have been transferred to Russia from France, the Low Countries, and Norway in the last three months, and that the Luftwaffe is continually bringing up aeroplanes from France, Germany, and North Africa. Forging ahead in deep snow, the Soviet forces have occupied several inhabited places in the Orel and Kursk regions. The United States Secretary for War (Mr H. L. Stimson) said the steady and highly satisfactory progress of the Soviet Army continued. The Russians were now controlling virtually all the railroads in the northern Caucasus, the Don area, and the Donets basin, The Germans were striving to maintain escape corridors to the Dnieper. Nevertheless there was a strong possibility that substantial numbers of Axis troops would be cut off in the Caucasus areas. Mr Stimson said the Russians, by

persistent pressure, were widening the Leningrad corridor and might separate Finland from Germany. This possibly accounted for rumours that Finland was seeking a separate peace. E.A.F. AWARDS , ALGIERS, Feb, 25. Three Now Zealanders share the six awards made among members of the Kent County auxiliary squadron of Hudson bombers for their part in many successes scored during the greatest submarine hunt in the Mediterranean war. They are Squadron Loader M. A. Ensor, Rangiora; Squadron Leader lan C. Patterson, Christchurch; and Flight Lieutenant H. G. Holmes. The announcement of the awards of the D.S.O. to Squadron Leaders Ensor and Patterson and of the D.F.C. to Flight Lieutenant Holmes was made on February 18. The other three airmen decorated Wv.re Sergeant H. Roe, England, who received the D.F.M.; Squadron Leader J. B. Ensor. London, and Flight Lieutenant A. W. Barwood. London, both of whom were awarded the D.F.C.

R.A.F. Headquarters has announced that these six awards were made as the result of scores of attacks against Axis U-boats in which the squadron sank at least six and damaged many more. The squadron one day had three definite kills.

Almost the entire squadron on one occasion, by repeatedly attacking a submarine, drove it on a beach in North Africa, where American troops captured it. U.S. SHIPBUILDING PROGRAMME (Rcc. 7.10 p.rn.) NEW YORK, Feb. 25. Rear-Admiral 'lmnry S, Land, chairman of the Maritime Commission, said at Washington that it was proposed to extend the American 1943 contract programme by an additional 2161 cargo ships. The current programme, mapped through to 1,944, called for the construction of 2242 ships, of which 554 were delivered before January of this year. It was now proposed to extend the contract programme to provide ihe construction of 2161 additional new ships, to be contracted for during 1943. The overall contemplated programme of the Maritime Commission would be 4403 ships, costing 10.788,006.357 dollars. The tonnage of the entire projected programme would be approximately 44,000,000.