DRIVE ON VYAZMA

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 March 1943, Page 5

DRIVE ON VYAZMA

MORE VILLAGES CAPTURED german gains in south LONDON, March 8. On the central front the Russians are fast closing in an Vyazma. The main attack appears to be developing from the north, where the Germans admit the evacuation of Sychevka, 40 miles above Vyazma. The Russian forces which took Gzhatsk are advancing rapidly, recapturing many villages, and this thrust looks like linking up with the one from the north. Another Russian thrust is moving down from Olenino 30 miles west of Rzhev, in spite of strong German resistance to its southward progress. This force now threatens Nikitinka, terminal of ,a branch line 35 miles above the main Vyazma-Smolensk railway. In the Orel-Bryansk area the Russians have made progress west of Sievsk, destroying many German units and beating off counter-attacks. “Pravda” gives an idea of how the home front has supported the Red Army during its lour months’ offensive." In 1942 aircraft production was increased 75 per cent, on that of 1941. The output of tanks increased several times and one big gun factory produced 11 times as many guns as in the previous year. A Moscow message states: The Red Army on entering Rostov found the motor repair shop intact, also a number of lorries undamaged. They bore a note saying: “The Germans ordered that we Slovaks should destroy this place. We leave it as a present for the Red Army. The Berlin radio announces that the Germans evacuated Sychevka for previously prepared positions. The withdrawal was not the result ot Russian pressure. DEFENCE OF SMOLENSK ■RUGBY- March 8. Heavy Russian pressure continues in the area of the great Vyazma salient, both southward from Rzhev, and Olenino 30 miles to the west, and also along the Moscow-Smolensk road, through Gzhatsk. The Germans have already been compelled to give up part of this great bastion lacing Moscow, of which Rzhev and Gzhatsk were two strongly fortified outposts. The question now is whether they will try to hold the important junction of’Vyaznla, thus retaining part of the salient, or completely straighten out the central front by going back to the line covering Smolensk from the Velizh area 50 miles south-west of Velikye Luki, past Dorogobuzh to tr.e neighbourhood of Kirov. 50 miles north of Bryansk. There is no doubt that the Germans will fight hard to retain Smolensk, a base junction which is very important to them, as the pivot of their whole central front. As the central salient diminishes, another salient equally largo is being formed round Orel, by continuing Russian pressure westwarcis from Kursk. This salient is probably about 100 miles across norl i to Fouth and east to west. Apparently the Germans’ counteroffensive south and south-east of Kharkov continues, with what success is uncertain. It seems possible that the wedge driven by the Russians towards the Dnieper and south of the Donetz River has been pushed back or cut off, and the enemy may regain control of the main railway from Poltava to the Donetz Basin. The general opinion of London observers is that the sudden early thaw robbed the Russians of the prospect which a week or two ago seemed within their grasp, of driving out or cutting off large enemy armies in the Donetz Basin.

BOOTY AT SYCHEVKA

RUGBY, March 8

The capture of Sycheyka, a town and railway station 48 miles north of Vyazma, on the Rzhev-Vyazma railway, and the nori hern extreme of the Vyazma pocket, is announced in a special Russian communique. On March 8. after two days’ stubborn fighUting, the Russians broke the enemy’s resistance and occupied Sychcvka. Eight planes, 310 tanks, 40 guns, and 215 railway* trucks were captured. The enemy lost in killed about 8000 men. TWO GREAT OFFENSIVES. (Rec. 11.45) LONDON. March 8. Amid blizzards and hard frosts the Red Armies are especially developing two great offensives along the 200mile front from southward of Lake Ilmen to Vyazma. The speed of the I advance in some sectors suggests the Germans retreating are either attempting to extricate their divisions from dangerous salients or shorten the line by withdrawal to prepared positions. Simultaneously the Germans claim to have made vigorous counter-at-tacks westward of Kharkov, where the Russians have been thrusting deeper. If thesv "lainis are correct, say Moscow corrtspondenls, the Wehrmacht is extending northward from the Donetz Basin its attempt to hold the Russians and prevent the collapse of the German southern bastions. Such a collapse would imperil German strategy, which is believed to be the stabilisation of lhe front on a line which would economise troops in order to build up an army of manoeuvre with which to reopen the campaign or provide reserves in the event of an Allied onslaught on Europe. But while the Russian advances continue, the Germans confront numerous difficulties therein. The Russian encircling moves, which are still unchecked, already threaten from the rear the strategic towns of Bryansk and Vyazma, in the neighbourhood of which the Red Armies are thrusting two .spearheads towards the head waters of the Dneipcr, 90 miles north of Smolensk. The Gormans, assisted by a network of fortified villages in the densely populated area, have considerably toughened their resistance.

“WHOLESALE RETREAT”?

LONDON, March 8

The British United Press Moscow correspondent says: The German evacuation of Sychevka brings the Russians within 50 miles of Viazma, from the north, while they are believed to be only 20 miles from Viazma eastward. The Russians’ recapture of 74 towns and villages in this region indicates an almost wholesale German retreat. German commentators admit the situation at Viazma is confused. The Germans also register nervousness regarding Smolensk, anent which messages to Stockholm from Berlin refer to the strong Russian threat from large forces. A similar recent admission by the Scandinavian Telegraph Bureau, which sponsors the above statements, previously preluded German withdrawals. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says that harder weather and the freezing of most of the big rivers are again giving an advantage to the Russians, who further complicated the Germans’ situation in the Bry-ansk-Orel area by another dangerous scythe-like movement. A fierce battle is raging between Sevsk and the Desna River, where the Russians are aiming to cut the railway behind Bryansk. LATEST DEVELOPMENTS LONDON, March 9. The fury of the Orel battle has not

waned. “The Times’s” Moscow correspondent says the German ‘‘bolt” positions have so far prevented the Russians appreciably bottlenecking the passage between Orel and Bryansk. The German radio to-night asserted that the Russians have made a powerful offensive north-west of Orel. The Germans also claim the recapture of a number of localities, bringing them 12 miles west ol Kharkov, “whither the Russians are re-, treating, covered by rearguards.” Timoshenko’s armies are now attacking southward with, according to the Germans, great masses or artillery and tanks in. numerical preponderance. “The Times’s” Moscow correspondent says Timoshenko is gradually improving his positions in difficult terrain. The Donetz Basin battle has still not reached the climax. The Germans’ resistance has stiffened west of Rostov, where the Russians are reported to have established a foothold across an important river, probably the Mius. The Russians are still grappling with a big force of armour and' mechanised infantry south of Voroshilovgrad, but have forced back the enemy. "Pravda.” warning against exaggerated optimism while a second front in Europe is non-existent, says the absence-of a second front permits Germany to pour reserves into Russia from France, Holland, and other areas. The Germans on the home front are feverishly and totally mobilising to creat new armies, to exact vengeance for their defeats. DONETZ BASIN LONDON, March 8. In the Donetz basin south-west of Voroshilovgrad heavy fighting is in progress, rind large German tank and infantry forces are in action. One German. attack, in which infantry were supported by 60 tanks, was beaten off with the loss of a battalion of men and 12 tanks. Fighting is going on in soil, mud in the Donetz basin and the Kuban country, but no new developments have been reported in these sectors. POLES IN RUSSIA (Recd. 10 a.m.) MOSCOW, March 8. The first Polish newspaper. “Free Poland,” which is published in Moscow, sets out a programme, firstly of unity of Poles in Russia, who are struggling for a democratic Poland free from race prejudice, where peasants will enjoy the use of the land, and unemployment be eliminated. Secondlyfull co-operation and goodneighbourlness with Russia; thirdly, to combat Polish circles in. England and America who ding to Imperial ambitions. , The newspaper states that Poland has no claim to the Ukrainian White Russia areas where the Poles constitute a negligible minority. BULGARIAN’TOWN BOMBED (Recd. 12.30 p.m.) ISTANBUL. March 8. Unidentified planes heavily bombed the Bulgarian town of Yambol. The news leaked out despite official efforts to suppress it. It was also reported that the recent order for the evacuation of children, aged people and non-essential workers from Sofia ‘is being carried out as fast as possible.