THREAT TO ROSTOV INCREASED

Evening Star, Issue 24409, 22 January 1943, Page 3

THREAT TO ROSTOV INCREASED

SIX GERMAN BASES MENACED MORE PLACES CAPTURED ON DONETZ FRONT (Rec. 1 p.m.) LONDON, Jan. 21. The capture of Stavropol (otherwise Voroshilovsk), an important collective farming centre in the Kuban area, as announced by a special Russian communique, was effected after a stubborn battle in which the Russians captured prisoners and booty. The mighty Russian armies now threaten six of the most important German communication centres in southern Russia Kharkov, Kursk, Lugansk. Rostov, Salysk, and Armavir. Kharkov is the strategically vital junction of six railways. Kursk is the intersection of four lines. Rostov is the key town of the Caucasus. Salysk and the other towns are scarcely less important rail centres. Reuter's Moscow correspondent says the threat to Rostov has increased with the Russians closing in on Likhaya, Lungansk, and Salysk. Front-line despatches from tlie Salysk sector tonight say fighting is raging in the eastern outskirts of a " large populated place," which may be Salysk itself. Tlie capture of Pro'letarskaya yesterday was achieved by an attack from three sides. The Russians finally flrove the Germans out after fierce street .fighting. The defenders included an S.S. regiment and the remnants of several divisions which had been severely handled in thi earlier'fighting on this front. The Russians on the Donetz front are advancing against Likhaya junction from two directions, one column I from Kamenskava and the other west-

ward along the Stalingrad-Krasnodar railway. A number of villages have been captured on this front in the past 24 hours. Three Russian columns are closing in on Lugansk, one of which is only 20 miles away. Further north the column which took Byelovodsk yesterday is now threatening the big town and railway station of Starobyelsk. The Russian advance in the Caucasus is continuing with clock-like precision. Nevinomyskaya was taken yesterday by a double thrust. Attacks against the encircled Germans before Stalingrad continue, says ' The Times ' Moscow correspondent. It is estimated that 5,000 have been killed and nearly 1,000 captured since the announcement on January 1C that the trapped forces had been reduced to about 50.000.

On the northern front the combined Leningrad and Volkhov armies are reported to be advancing southwards. The Russians report a battle for an important point, which is the pivot of the German defences over a wide area. The place is being attacked from three sides. The Germans are rushing reinforcements thither.