VICTORY PLAN

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 111, 4 February 1943, Page 5

VICTORY PLAN

Announced As Fighting Ends At Stalingrad

(By Telegraph.—Press Assn.— Copyright.)

(Received February 3, 8.10 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 2. The Soviet High Command has prepared a "victory plan affecting every part of the front, which will soon be put into operation, ' declared the Chief of the Propaganda Bureau, M. Yaroslavsky, in a broadcast on Moscow radio to the Russian armies. He added, "The German army in the Caucasus will suffer the same fate as their comrades at Stalingrad. The Russian offensive is only in its early stages. A special Moscow communique tonight announces that the liquidation of the Germans at Stalingrad has been completed and the historic battle has thus ended with complete victory for the Russians.

Lieutenant-General Streicher (who commanded the last German stand) and his chief of staff, have been captured. together with five generals. The communique states that in the past two days the Russians have taken prisoner 45,000 men, and between January 10, when the final offensive opened, and February 2, they have captured 91,000 Germans. Altogether in the battle of Stalingrad. 24 enemy generals and 2400 other oflicers were capthe general offensive against encircled* forces, the Russians took 750 aircraft, 15u0 tanks. G<oo guns, 140mortars, mire than 8000 nmchmeguns, *H> 000 rifles, more than 60,000 Ibrries, 701X1 motor-cycles, 480 haulage 320 radio transmitters, 1000 lailway trucks, 235 ammunition dumps, and large quantities of other equipment. Message From Stalin.

Replving to General Rokossovsky s reports from the field, announcing the annihilation of the enemy at Stalingrad, and listing five army corps, consisting ot 22 divisions and many other formations, wiped out or taken prisoner. M. Stalin, in a message to General Rokossovsky, said “I congratulate you and the troops of the Don front on the liquidation of the Germans at Stalingrad. I express my gratitude to all the men, commanders and political instructors, for the successful operations.” , . The Exchange Telegraph Agency s Moscow correspondent reports that the Russians discovered a “Black hole of Stalingrad”—an underground hospital in which 3000 Germans were dying from wounds, cold and hunger. The streets m the centre of the city were full of German soldiers begging for bread, and asking the way to the nearest prisoner assembly posts. . Reconstruction M oris. The Stalingrad factory workers, who had fought as volunteers, have again donned their overalls, and are prepared to start oil the restoration of the enterprises. The railwaymen are already weil ahead with the repairs to the rail installations. ~ , . The Moscow “Pravda” announces that planning for the reconstruction of Stalingrad has already begun, and for this reason priority will be given to the railwav station and power plant. The “Red Star” quotes a captured German general's declaration that the flower of the Wehrmacht perished at Stalingrad. Many units consisted solely of oflicers. The bulk of those annihilated were mainly Prussians; A thousand corpses littered the streets, holding up military traffic. Thousands of ghost-like, frost-bitten prisoners are still emerging from cellars and dug-outs, seeking -to surrender.

'Today’s German communique states that the German defences at Stalingrad have been broken through at many point! after their troops had used up practically all their ammunition.

Berlin radio announced that Generals von Hartmann and Stenzell have been killed in Russia, the latter at Stalingrad.