RUSSIAN CAPTURES

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 December 1942, Page 5

RUSSIAN CAPTURES

LAND, MEN, AND MATERIAL

GERMAN ROUT IMMINENT?

NEW DEFENCE LINES FORMED

LONDON, December 23. A Soviet special communique announcing _that the offensive in the area of the Middle Don is continuing, states: “Russian troops in the middle Don area to-day (Tuesday) continued to develop their offensive successfully in the same direction as before, and in pursuit of the disorganised and routed German forces occupied many inhabited localities, including Koleshchatoe, Nikolskoe, Morozovka, and Kamensko. “Since the attack began the Russians have captured .108 tanks, 1600 guns of all calibres, 2400 machineguns, 6700 trucks, 5500 horses, 82 food and ammunition dumps. The advance went on throughout the day, with the enemy still in disorderly retreat to the west and south-west. Another 7000 Germans have been killed, and nearly 7000, were taken prisoner. “Heavy fighting continues in the Stalingrad area, and in the factory area the enemy has been cleared from more points. South-west of the city the Germans are still counter-at-tacking vigorously, but the Russians are clinging grimly to their positions. One attack cost the Germans 1000 men, 50 tanks, 21 guns, and 64 trucks.”

Correspondents report that Russian tanks have achieved a break-through on a major scale into the oocn spaces of the middle Don. The Russian forces advancing from the east have occupied a town on the StalingradKharkov railway below Millerovo. The town described as Kamensko, which was' captured by the Russians in their drive in the middle Don area, and was thought to be Kamenskaya, 40 miles south of the important railway junction of Millerovo, has now been identified as Kamensky, which is 100 miles north-west of Millerovo. The Russians have also captured the town of Popokova on the frontier of the Ukraine.

RUMANIAN LOSSES

To-day’s total of 6700 prisoners brings the seven days’ total to 20,200. The Stockholm correspondent of the “Daily Express” reports that General Golikov’s and General Vatoutin’s forces, converging on Millerovo from the north and east, nave joined. If this report is correct, then the remaining German forces west of Kletskaya and Kalach are now completely encircled. The Stockholm correspondent of “The Times” says: “Reports from Moscow and Berlin indicate that the Axis discomfiture on the middle Don has rapidly developed into the nearest thing to a large-scale rout since Marshal von Kleist’s debacle a year ago. The Germans state that the task of stemming the Russians has been entrusted to fresh reserves, which were en route to the front when the Russian advance began. The German reserves were halted when the Russians broke deeply into the defence zone. The reserves are now stated to be holding new and previously prepared positions. The German explanation implies that they have improvised a second line of defence, and hope to let the retreating and rather disordered troops through the new defence line to form up behind. There is no indication where the new front is envisaged, but it must be largely west of the Voronezh-Rostov railway. It will be only natural if Russian progress to the west and south-west slackens in the next few days because of the number of enemy groups in this large area which, although disorganised, will probably make a stand.”

OPEN SPACES REACHED

UKRAINE BORDER CROSSED

LONDON. December 23

With the recapture of Popovka. the Russians are once again across the Ukrainian border, which is the eastern boundary of Hitler’s so-called European fortress. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says: The Red Army, with studied thoroughness, is increasing the already tremendous scope of its victory. Each Russian soldier is obsessed with the same idea —forward and then forward. There are no signs yet apparent of the brake being applied to their progress. The Russian Command is at present avoiding any frontal assault on trapped German forces in the Don-Volga region. It is concentrating on keeping an iron ring intact. The enemy to the northwestwards of Stalingrad is saving food and ammunition as much as possible, knowing that supply lines to the westwards are now in grave danger. Moscow radio said: “Russian forces in Stalingrad city ’ are clearing the Germans from building after building. The capture of one . stronglyfortified building took 20 hours’ fighting.”

PANIC DEVELOPING

(Rec. 11.35 a.m.) Dec. 23. At many points on the middle Don front the‘Germans are retreating in complete disorder before the Russian offensive. Many of the Germans have become panic stricken, and are throwing away their arms. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says that the Russians, after breaking through, are dashing forward at tremendous speed, emulating Hitler’s panzer drive across France. The Germans. having lost the line on the Don, now appear to be lost altogether. Russian tank columns, which crashed through the German defence zone, have now reached open spaces favourable for a large-scale manoeuvre. Several large columns of heavy and medium tanks were, to-day, irresistibly thrusting southwards and south-westwards, hammering new wedges into the German positions. Masses of Russian infantry are quickly filling the gaps torn in the German lines, and mopping up and consolidating newly-won positions. German garrisons are making stands at strong-points originally far behind their front line, but reports are coming in that more and more of these garrisons are either surrendering or being put out of action. Hitler at one stage made an attempt to stop the rot, but bombed his own retreating troops. The German Command has, so far. been unable to offer a systematic or tactically comprehensive counter-blow. The Red Army has created one solid front, and is sweeping onward. The Russian threat to Millerovo has grown greater in the past 24 hours. Battles are waxing fiercer southwest of Stalingrad. The Germans have raced up numerous tanks, attempting, by massive blows, to pierce the Russian lines and relieve von Hoth’s trapped forces.

EXTENT OF ADVANCE

RUGBY, December 23

A Soviet communique states: “The offensive-of the Soviet troops in the middle Don continues. On December 21, our troops continued to develop successfully the offensive in the Middle Don area, in the same direction as before, and have advanced another 12 to 18 miles. In seven days, our troops have advanced 90 to 100 miles.

BRITISH TANKS IN USE (Recd. 1.55 p.m.) LONDON, Dec. 22. Two powerful Red Army infantry columns, led by Klim and Voroshilov, and including British Valentines and Matildas, manned by Russians, are driving down the Voronezh-Rostov railway towards the key railway junction at Milerovo. The eastward column is still advancing rapidly, and is reported to have reached Morozovka, 40 miles south-west, of Millerovo, which is threatened from the rear. Icy gales are whipping up snow and constantly deepening the snowdrifts, through Klim and Voroshilov is cutting paths by driving wedges into the German positions on the broad front, the front then fanning out in areas west of the Chir River.

Moscow correspondents say that the Germans at many places in the Middle Don are abandoning villages, and leaving the roads littered with heavy guns, lorries and tanks. Elsewhere, picked German units were attempting delaying actions, but have thus far failed to hold the Russian thrusts. A garrison at one village guarding important crossroads, was ordered to hold on at all costs, but was outflanked, whereafter the Russians cutting the wire entanglements, assaulted with bayonets, and fought a way into the streets, which were choked with corpses, and wiped out. the remaining enemy.

LONDON, December 23

A British United Press correspondent, reporting from the Stalingrad front, says: Tens of thousands of Rumanians are being rounded up after fierce fighting near the Don. where Rumanian Josses are comparable with those at Odessa and Sebastopol. The Rumanians treated the Russian prisoners most brutally, but from what I saw the Russians do not bear these dupes any hatred. They feed and clothe them. A Rumanian divisional commander said: “It was a great mistake for the Rumanians to enter the war against the Russians, who have always been our allies. It will probably result in Rumania’s downfall. The Rumanians as a whole oppose the alliance with Germany, whose only supporters are the Iron Guard. A peasant woman who lost two sons and had a daughter carried off to Germany, when asked why she was feeding two Rumanians, replied: “It is not their fault. Only one man is guilty of our misfortunes--Hitler.'’

RUGBY, December 23. On the Middle Don, Soviet tank columns made a total break through and reached the wide open spaces, states a Moscow message. Soviet infantry is quickly filling the gaps between the tank wedges which are penetrating south-west and south m i rres ist ible Ihr lists.