RUSSIAN CAPTURES

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 January 1944, Page 5

RUSSIAN CAPTURES

GAINS NEAR LENINGRAD

GERMAN RETREAT STARTED

LONDON, January 23. “Five Russian columns are striking out fanwise from advances towards important r julway and road junctions stretehes communications ovei stretches of the northern front, says _ the Mos cow correspondent of the •H 11 ’- 1 - United Press. iirnnq qrp COHV6I72i.BR OH tuC IHipOI tant junction of (abount 20 miles south of Leningrad.) in a bid to cut the east-west ay to the Estonian frontier town of Nar va, which is the to the Germans holding tins area. This drive is developing momentymi following 24 hours of the Diuerest fighting since the Leningrad offensive began? Three more columns southeast of Leningrad are advancing deep into the railway network on the approaches, forcing a bioad wedge in to the German positions north and north-east of Tosno. The Germans in this area are showing signs of Panm. The garrison of one enemy-held town fled in disorder, abandoning masses of ea moment. A hundred miles to the south Red Army vanguards, after the capture of Tatino, are continuing to drive north-west from Novgorod across the steadily narrowing gap separating them from the Lemn to ia.d reports say that the Germans are still falling back before the speed and weight of the Russian attacks on the Leningrad front. The Red Army has cleared the 65 miles oi railway running north-west to Leningrad from Kirishi, through Mga. Moscow reports only local fighting on the rest of the Russian front. A supplementary Moscow communique says: “South-west and south 0 f Krasny Selo routed enemy units are retreating southward, abandoning one position after another. and also north-west oi Tosno, where a considerable number oi prisoners and much booty have been taken. West ol Novgorod, the enemy made some show of resistance but was unable to withstand our pressure. South-west of Novograd Volinsk (in the Western Ukraine) we temporarily lost an inhabited locality, but by the end of. the day the situation was completely restored. Other places captured are Vittmo (36 miles south-west of Leningrad) and Lodvi (10 miles north-east nt Tosno.”

STALIN’S TRIBUTE

Marshal Stalin, in his order of the day on Friday, said: “Troops of the Leningrad front, in direct co-opera tion with troops of the Volkhov front, took the offensive to-day, penetrated the enemy defences, and captured the town and . important rail junction of Mga, which is miles south-east of Leningrad. Mga was a powerful centre of enemy resistance. To mark the victory, the units which particularly distinguished themselves at Mga will henceforth, assume the town's name and will be recommended for further honours. Moscow to-night will man; the occasion with a salute from 124 guns.” Reuter’s correspondent points out that Mga controls the direct railway to the Volkhov front (above Lake Ilmen). Friday’s Moscow communique said:-“The Russians south-west and south of Krasny Selo to-day. took the offensive and captured 14 inhabited | localities. Russian troops liquidated and scattered individual groups of routed German units. Besides occupying Mga the Red Army took a number of inhabited places, including Petrushino, Pavlovo, and the Appraksin railway station. The Russians west of Novgorod occupied several inhabited, localities and are at present liquidating routed enemy; groups surrounded in the forests I west of Novgorod. “The Russians north-west ol Kalin kovichi (in the Pripet Marshes) have- occupied Axarichi, a district centre in the Polesie region, and several other inhabited localities.” “Two powerful Russian forces driving down from Leningrad and west of • Novgorod are squeezing tighter the German Army of 400.000 in the northern battlefield between Leningrad. Narva, Staraya Russa, and Pskov.” says Reuter’s Moscow correspondent. “The Germans are retreating soutti of Leningrad under powerful new Red Army blows. Many German units have abandoned arms and equipment and are streaming back in disorder. The whole 150- : mile German line from Leningrad to ■ Staraya Russa is now under a. grave ! threat as Russian tanks and motorised infantry groups pour through the gaps torn in its northern and southern flanks. The operations on this front are swelling to huge proportions as the Red Army offensive gathers momentum. The Russians, after an eight-day battle, are now advancing at greater tempo. With the capture of Mga the Russians are j loosening the German stranglehold south-east of Leningrad.” The Paris radio says: “The battles are raging in the northern sector of the Russian front with undiminished intensity. The Russians are eontinuouslv receiving fresh reinforcements. The' Germans in lhe Leningrad-Oranienbaum-Novgorod area have withdrawn several miles. A Russian attack north of Neve I, supported bv tanks, has broken through the German lines. The Russians have also advanced north-west of Kalinkovichi. on the Pripet front.” The Moscow correspondent of “The Times” says: '‘Russian heavy guns have already taken up positions from which a. week ago the enemy was shelling Leningrad. Ships of the Soviet Bailie Fleet are now

moving freely along the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland, landing supplies and ammunition.” “Pravda” says: “The time is not far distant when, having completed the liberation of our land, the Red Army will carry its operations into enemy territory until the front line runs ’along the Spree (the river on which Berlin stands). _ The dates, direction and scale of the blows tv be dealt to the enemy by our Allies in the west were’ decided at Teheran. Our heroic warrior people mustbrace themselves, to put all. possible weight into the final effort."

STRUGGLE FOR RAILWAY

(Rec. 11.50 a.m.) LONDON, Jan. 23. The Red Army’s northern offensive is assuming the proportions of a major operation which in. scope is far beyond the mere freeing of. Leningrad from the German stranglehold, declares Reuter’s Moscow correspondent. The Russians on the ninth day.of the offensive are closing in on Tosno, which is expected to fall momentarily, and are preparing to bombard the vital railway junction of Krasnogvardeisk. The battle in the various sectors of the Leningrad front has resolved into a struggle for complete control of the lateral railway from Tosno to Narva. The Russians 15 miles west of Krasnogvardeisk are carrying, out a successful outflanking movement which has already brought them within half a dozen miles of the Tosno-Narva trunk line. The Russian operations based on Novgorad are also growing in scope. The Red Army round Novgorod now ‘ holds an arc with a 20 miles radius from the Volkhov River to the shores

of Lake Ilmen, which gives ample room for further offensive actin linked up with the operations on trie Leningrad front. „ General Govorov’s forces south or Leningrad have caught a large Ger’man force concentrated in the area north of the railway from Mga to Krasnovgardeisk, says the British United Press Moscow correspondent. This line crosses all six lines radiating from Leningrad. The Russians have already cut two of the six lines; tw of the others run south-west to Pakov. The Germans have been furiously counter-attacking nortn of the two remaining railwy junctions to keep the lines open as long as possible and get the troops out of the trap which is closing around them. Red Army artillery is already bombarding the junctions. . Moscow correspondents say mat Vatutin’s army in the Ukraine is using the comparative lull to consolidate its positions and prepare for a further blow. Russian tanks and guns are crossing the Dnieper in a steady stream from the Ural factories, 1000 miles away, whose production figures are now the highest since the transfer of the factories from Stalino and Stalingrad. Von Hammer, over the Berlin radio to-night said that Russian forces last night landed south-east of Kerch after bombarding the town and territory north of which heavy fighting was going on.

LATEST PROGRESS REPORT.

(Rec. 1.5 p.m.) LONDON. Jan. 23. A’Moscow communique says: The Red Army south-west-south of Krasny continued the offensive and captured several inhabited places. Also north and north-east of Tosno they continued to fight a way forward and captured a number of inhabited places, including the railway station of Pustynka, and Ivanova, 11 miles north-east of Tosno. The Russians west and south-west, of Kirishi captured a number of inhabited places and as a result of determined operations completely liquidated the enemy base on the east bank of the Volkhov River, in the area of Gruzino, nine miles east of Chudovo, on the main Leningrad-Moscow railway. The Russians north-west and west of Novgorod captured several inhabited places and west of Kosir overran Letch itsi, a district centre in the Polesie region, which is southwest of Mosir, 25 miles east of the 1939 Polish border.

GERMANS HOLD POSITIONS

RUGBY, January 23. The battle for the liberation of Leningrad has made very good progress, both south-west and east of the city, but due south, and south-east the' Germans still hold positions quite close. The Russian right flank has been advancing towards "the rail junction of Krasnogvardeisk, formerly Gatchina. On the left flank, the whole of the main line leading to Leningrad from Yaroslavl, north of Moscow, via Kirishi, has been cleared. This gives the city its first really good railway link with the rest of Russia. Between these two sectors, the Germans still hold Pushkin, formerly Tsarskoye Selo, and Kolpino, about a dozen miles to the south and south-east respectively of Leningrad’s outskirts. The Germans thus retain, their hold on about 55 miles of the main line To Moscow, as far as Chudovo on the Volkhov River/ There is no sign of withdrawal from this large angle between Leningrad and Novogorod. Elsewhere, some further progress was made north-west of Kalinkocihi, but wild weather seems to be holding up operations cn both sides further south.

GERMAN SHIPPING LOSSES

RUGBY, January 23. Two enemy transports, each of 6000 tons, one escort vessel and a German U-boat have been sunk in the Barents Sea. states a Soviet supplement.

PARTISANS ACTIVE

RUGBY, January 13. A Partisan group operating the Kalinin area waged two days’ fighting against German punitive detach - ments. The patriots retreated into the forest and laid an ambush. The enemy followed and was met by a fierce fire. The Patriots dealt a ' decisive blow and forced the enemy to retreat. The German’s left 200 dead in the forest. Another Partisan group operating in the same area derailed a German military train and wrecked two open trucks carrying guns and six •wagons containing food. APPEAL TO BULGARIANS (Recd. 10.30 a.m.) LONDON, Jan. 23. The All-Slav Committee has appealed to .Bulgarians to rise against the Germans, says the Moscow radio. “The flames of destructive war are approaching our frontiers. The lies of those who assured you an alliance with Germany would save Bulgaria from war are exposed. Bulgaria has the possibility of saving herself from a national catastrophe. Soldiers of the Bulgarian Army! Turn your arms against the German invaders! Workers and peasants! Rise up in decisive struggle! Clergy! Let your temples resound to the call of the struggle against Hitler!”