CAPTURE OF GJATSK

Evening Star, Issue 24447, 8 March 1943, Page 3

CAPTURE OF GJATSK

IMPORTANT RUSSIAN SUCCESS NAZI COUNTER-DRIVES CAIN GROUND IN SOUTH (British Official, Wifeless.) RUGBY, March 6. A special Soviet communique states: " As the result of two assaults, Soviet troops occupied the town of' Gjatsk. The boqty is being counted. Gjatsk was an important German strong-point, and the nearest to Moscow of thbse remain; ing in enemy hands." Since it lies on the Moscow-Vyazma-Smolensk railway, the occupation of Gjatsk indicates that the Red army is closing. oh Vyazma from at least two directions, an earlier Moscow message having announced the capture of Osuga, 16 miles to the south of Rjey on the railway to Vyazma. The booty'captured at Osuga included 57 tanks. Enemy counter-drives in the south have gained much ground up to the general line of the Donetz River. The Soviet has made no announcement concerning German progress, hilt evidently the area newly won by the Russians to the south of Kharkov is threatened. Possession of that great city, however,' gives the Russians strength they did not have when the Germans advanced in the same direction about a year ago. The position can be summarised as, first, the Red army is consistently thrusting bade the front from Moscow; secondly, the entire Volga River from source to estuary is now.under Russian control, which will be a very important factor for the Soviet transport system in the spring and summer; thirdly, the synchronised Russian push to, the south from Bryansk, supported by the drive north-west of Kharkov, is preparing the way for the clearance of the strategic Kharkov-Moscow railway; which, in Russian hands, will consolidate the whole Russian advance to the southwest, menacing the German forces in the Donetz basin. Moscow messages state that the Maikop oilfields are already yielding oil and the reconstruction of the entire area has been begun at full speed. The rich coal mines at Stavropol have also commenced production.