100-MILE FRONT

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 94, 15 January 1943, Page 5

100-MILE FRONT

Russians Driving On In Northern Caucasus REARGUARDS BRUSHED ASIDE LONDON, January 14. Today's Moscow communique reports continued Russian progress in the northern Caucasus where Soviet forces are reported to be getting nearer the important town of Armavir. Driving north-west 25 miles a day, Russian vanguards are now 50 miles beyond the Georgievsk-Prikumsk railway, reports Reuter’s Moscow correspondent. They have captured Zhuraskoe, 240 miles west of Prikumsk, bringing Stavropol within striking distance and threatening Armavir. The retreating Germans have been driven from still more places and where rearguards have attempted to stem the Russian advance in this area, they have been brushed aside. . In the last 24 hours, the Soviet forces driving forward on a [lOO-mile front toward Voroshilovsk, about 80 miles away, and Armavir, 1 00 miles up the railway to Rostov, have made important progress.

Yesterday’s Russian air attack on the airfield at Krasnodar, the Kuban capital, was most successful, more .than 40 Axis aircraft being destroyed. On the lower Don, another big German tank attack has been thrown back. The enemy attacked again and again, but was driven back, and it is reported that the Nazis lost 2000 men and 40 tanks. The Russians then took up the offensive and captured several more villages on the road to Rostov. The Russians are now west of Kuberle, on the trane-Caueasian railway. ' Inside the factory area at Stalinigrad, Russian assault detachments have thrown the Germans out of more buildings. Russian Mopping Up. LONDON, January 13.

Though last night’s _ Soviet communique announced no important advances the capture of several places in Ithc central Caucasus is indicated. Substantial mopping-up has been achieved land the Russian hold on the PyatigorskiMineralnye Vodi branch line has been strengthened. Though Maikop, with its [oilfields, the capture of which was one : of the few practical gains of the 'Germans in the summer campaign, is not itself directly threatened, if the Russians advance much further along the Georgievsk-Rostov railway toward Armavir a serious threat to Maikop would develop. The only north-south double track line in the Caucasus is that between Rostov and Georgievsk and the intermediary railway towns like Tikhoretsk and Armavir are considered the real keys to the Caucasus campaign. If the Russians succeed in bringing a serious threat to these towns, then the position of all the German forces in the central Caucasus would become extremely grave. Harrying Retreating Enemy. The Moscow correspondent of “The Times’’ reports that the Russians hare thrown in large units in the Caucasus to harry the dense columns of men and armour retreating along the highways and railroad, which are constantly bombed and strafed. The Russians heavily raided Krasnodar. The Germans are still strongly resisting at keypoints. A United Press report says the Russians are pressing toward Armavir, along the Baku-Rostov railway ‘from Mineralnye Vodi. Tank-borne shock troops and motorized cavalry are thrusting far ahead of the main body, sowing confusion and straddling the communications in the attempt to hold up the Germans while the slower main Russian force catches up. A front-line dispatch to the .“Red Star” says the Germans are retreating in panic iu some sectors. Elsewhere they arc launching frequent attacks with tanks, supported by the Luftwaffe, but are unable to hold up the Russian advance anywhere for very long. ( Eye-witnesses on the Caucasian front .report that “thousands and thousands” of (German bodies are found scattered [through the streets of Mineralnye Vodi Snd other captured towns. Berlin spokesmen now admit that the

Russians are aiming at Rostov. They say the Red Army is employing terrific numbers of reserves in the Millerovo and Miueraluye Vodi areas. A Soviet supplementary communique dealing with the fighting in Stalingrad says that fierce fighting took place in houses, yards, and streets. The enemy launched six counter-attacks, but each was repelled and an infantry battalion was wiped out.

Fight for Manich Lino. ’ The Russians report that the Germans are making a major effort to stein the lower Don drive toward Rostov, particularly iu the Manich area, where they are energetically exploiting the last natural defence line before Rostov. The Germans coun-ter-attacked in the Manich area witli a large tank formation and pushed the Russians back slightly, but the Red Army was regrouped and recaptured the lost points. Cl?he Germans must retain the Manich line to enable the forces further south to carry out their withdrawal, which is progressing'under heavy Russian pressure. Reuter’s correspondent says the advance on the lower Don has slowed down. The Russians now face large German forces which are no longer handicapped by long lines of communication. The Berlin correspondent of the Stockholm “Aftonbladet” states that tank battles on the lower Dou in the past lew days have been the most violent of the whole war. A million Russians, with 1000 tanks, are engaged on the Don, Caucasus and Stalingrad fronts. Russian pressure is increasing and the climax is not yet reached. The Russians are mostly reservists, using improved Russiauinade armoured cars and also Allied material.