RUSSIANS ADVANCE

Grey River Argus, 25 February 1942, Page 4

RUSSIANS ADVANCE

Towards Smolensk DESPITE GROWING RESISTANCE (Rec. 10.55:) LONDON, Feb. 24. The Russians launched a big attack on the central front on Monday morning, after night-long preparations. Towards the end of the day it was clear that the attack was entirely successful. Russian artillery at dawn laid down a terrific barrage. Russian tanks and infantry overwhelmed the Germans, and put them to flight. It is understood that this new Russian attack is on the Smolensk sector of the central front. Moscow radio stated: “The battle goes well. We are driving the Germans westward. A supplement to last night’s Soviet war communique, in which the capture of Dorogobuzh, half-way between Smolensk and Viazma was announced, states: “In the Kalinin sector of the front fourteen localities have been retaken by Soviet troops during the last two days. A considerable quantity of war material was captured, and the enemy lost over five hundred officers and men killed. Other local successes are claimed in unspecified sectors of the front, together with lists of enemy war material destroyed and captured. These give the impression that in spite of the German resistance -growing, Soviet forces are continuing an advance westwards. The Berlin radio admits there is serious fighting north-eastwards of Lake Ilmen. Russian forces broke through in one sector, but they were surrounded and were annihilated. Strong Russian forces are now attacking. the Vokhov area. • A .Russian submarine recently passed' through a Baltic minefield, and sank four ships totalling forty thousand tons, including a seventeen thousand-ton tanker.

A Norwegian News Agency says that the Germans have ordered half a million pairs of skis from Norway for their next Winter’s campaign in Russia.

Front Still Wintry RUSSIANS MORE AGGRESSIVE. ENEMY CHANGES TACTICS. (Rec. 11.35.) LONDON, Feb. 23. - The Stockholm correspondent ot “The Times” asys: “Although it is now distinctly more active than it has been during December and January, Winter still dominates the! Russian battlefront.” The correspondent states that tne increasing activity is partly due to a chanE© in the* German tactics, which Berlin "describes, as those of “active defence, after a period of passive defence.” . “There is no evidence, says the correspondent, “to support the German claim to have taken prisoners numbering nearly fifty-seven thousand Russians since the New Year. But, whether this is true or false, the Russians are more aggressive today than they were in January. This is most evident on the Leningrad front, where the garrison and relieving forces south-westwards of Shlusselburg are now within hearing distance of each other’s artillery. Russian hammering continues unabated. The fact that a passage has not yet been battered through the investing forces demonstrates the .thoughness

of the German resistance in fulfilling the High Command’s orders that Leningrad should not be 'relieved. The Russians are increasingly using - guerrillas and regular mobile raiding detachments to cause disorder in the enemy’s rear as part of preparations for an offensive with a large force. These tactics are particularly evident on approaches to Smolensk and inside of White (Russia, where some guerrillas are operating over a radius of a hundred miles, and also in the Ukraine, where raiders chiefly are well-equipped cavalry. The next few weeks should yield the Russians more tangible fruit, as careful preparations mature, and some or all of the German posts fall or break. ' . GERMAN CLAIM. RUSSIAN LOSSES BY COLD THE GREATER. [Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] (Rec. 11.25.) x LONDON, Feb. 24. The German military spokesman, in a broadcast asserted: Probably more Russians have been frozen to death than German soldiers, because the Russians have been less hardened than the Germans, especially the last German reinforcements. He added that the Germans in the. K Spring, would continue “from Viazma and Kiev, where nature forced them to leave off.”

RED ARMY. ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS. 8.0.W. RUGBY, February 23. . M. Maisky gave a reception at the Soviet Embassy in London, to-night, in honour of the twenty-fourth anniversary of the creation of the Red Army. Mr Churchill was prevented from attending by a last-minute call: of urgent -business. The Allied Governments wer e all represented, as were the Dominions and the British Fighting Services. Messages of congratulation on the magnificent achievements of the Red Army have been sent either to M. Stalin or M. Maisky by the heads of the Allied Governments in London. The following message has been sent to the President of the Moscow Soviet by the Lord Mayor of London: “On behalf of the citizens of London, I offer heartfelt greetings and congratulations to the Red Army on their victories, dauntless courage, and heroism, which will form .one of the epics of world history.” The London County Council Chairman has sent the following message to M. Staiin: “On behalf of the people of London, I send hearty congratulations on tiie twenty-fourth anniversary of the Red Aimy, and on the outstanding military genius_ and ep.c bravery displaced b.v the officers and men in resisting German aggression. London salutes tire Russian people.” The Netherlands Government, in a telegram to M. Maisky, also paid a tribute ‘to the Red. Army. It read: "On behalf of the Netherlands Government, 1 wish to convey to Your Excellency .on this day an expression of my deep admiration for the glorious achievements of. the Russ.an Armv.” For the first time in Australia’s history, Red Army dav is being observed throughout the Commonwealth. Among the hundreds of messages of congratulation which the Red Armv has received is .one from General Douglas Macarthur, commander' of the United States forces in the Philippines, who said th e hopes of the civilised world were placed in the glorious battles of the Red Army. A message was also sent from the British Armv and the Royal Air Force by Gen. Sir A. Brooke-Popham, Chief. of the Imperial. General Staff, and Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles P.ortal, who wished the Red Armv all possible success, and expressed confidence that together the Allies would secure final success against the common enemv.

MR CHURCHILL’S TRIBUTE. • TO RED ARMY. . [Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] (Rec. 11.25.) LONDON, Feb. 23. Mr Churchill sent a message to M. Stalin as follows: “The twentyfourth anniversary of the foundation of the Red Armv is being celebrated to-day, after an eight-months’ campaign which has reflected the greatest glory on its officers and men, and enshrined its deeds in history for all time. On this proud occasion, I convey to you. as Chairman of the Defence Committee of U.S.S.R. and all of the members of the Soviet forces, the admiration and gratitude with which -the peoples of the British Empire have watched their exploits, and our confidence in a victorious end of the struggle against the common foe.”