600-MILE WIDE OFFENSIVE STILL GROWING

Grey River Argus, 22 January 1943, Page 5

600-MILE WIDE OFFENSIVE STILL GROWING

RUSSIAN PROGRESS DURING NINE WEEKS

Threatens Enemy’s Central Winter Line Bases

'Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn. 1 (Rec. 9.50) LONDON, Jan. 20. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent states: The Russians’ six-hundred-mile winter offensive is entering on tiie tenth week, gathering momentum, Hitler’s forces being threatened in great central bases of their winter line, namely Rostov, Kharkov and Kursk, besides North Caucasia. General Golikov’s forces on the Voronej front are pushing on a two-pronged drive north-west towards Kursk, and south-west towards Kharkov. The correspondent adds: Moscow “Red Star” reported on Wednesday night that Russ an forces, after piercing German defences in an unnamed sector on the Voronej front, penetrated deeply to the rear, and cut a road on the enemy’s line of retreat, heavy losses being inflicted on an Axis column and more than 1000 prisoners were taken, besides many guns and lorries. With the capture of Valuiki and Urasova on Tuesday, Russian forces thrusting towards Kharkov came with n seventy miles of that city, while many more towns and villages have since been retaken both in this drive and in the one against Kursk. Latest reports stated that Axis forces were in a critical posit on in many sectors, a big enemy garrison being trapped at Ostrogojsk, whose capture has now been’ announced. Russian forces farther south which swept across the Donetz River, and took Kamanskayea now are pressing on towards Likhnaya, which is a rail junction, sixty miles from Rostov. The Red Army has now crossed* the Donetz River over a stretch of from thirty to forty miles. The correspondent continues: The Northern Caucasus Soviet forces, closing in on Stavropol, captured two points each about twenty miles from this important collective farming centre. “The Times” Moscow correspondent says: Soviet successes in the Valikiye Luki sector in which several more maces were taken yesterday, coincided with a deepening of the winter. All German positions between White Russia and the Baltic are menaced. It is important to remember that the frozen ground in the north will not permit of the movements of mechanised forces for many months, and will give skimounted troops, of whom the Russians have a vast number, a substantial advantage. Russian forces in the south are carrying the battle westward into regions that the Germans could ill-afford to lose if they hope to retain any of their summer gains. They already have lost about half the territory seized after launching their attack from the Kursk salient last year. A feature of mobile warfare on- the Voronej front is the utter routing of Italians and Hungarians. The latter are grave in offensive warfare, but crack when the tide turns against them.”

South-west Fronts ENCIRCLED ENEMY LOSE HEAVILY. LONDON, Jan. 20. A Russian communique supplement on Wednesday morning stated: On the south-west front, Russian troops occupied a number of localities, on one sector of this front, the Germans, aiming to relieve the encircled garrison, threw into battle large infantry and tank forces. The Russians repelled several enemy counterattacks and annihilated in stubborn engagements a German infantry regiment. In Millerovo, the Germans abandoned 500 wounded. In an area of this city, more than 3000 enemy dead were left. In the Stalingrad area, the annihilation of the encircled Germans continues. Russian storm detachments occupied several fortified positions in the city. The Russians on the Voronezh front continued a successful offensive. An encircled German garrison in the town of Ostrogozhsk carried out several desperate attempts to break out. of the town, but all enemy counterattacks were beteen off with heavy losses. In an area in the locality of Poyoyialy (20 miles north-north-west of'Rossosh), our mobile units, after a two hours’ engagement, captured 5000 Italian officers and men. In the locality of Alekseevka our troops attacked a large Italian column. The Italians offered only slight resistance and surrendered quickly Reuter’s Moscow correspondent stated : “Many have surrendered from a large number of Hitler’s divisions hopelessly trapped in the carridor between the Don and the Kamensk-Rossosh section of the

V’oronezs-Rostov railway. .Systematic annihilation of others is proceeding. The “Red Star” compares the encirclement in numerical importance with »that before Stalingrad. Ln aadition f 0 29 Roumanian, Italian and Hungarian Divisions badly mauled in the last two months on the Russian front at least 60 German Divisions, excluding those trapped in Stalingrad are regarded as in a similar state.

CAUCASUS FRONTS

Enemy Resistance RUSSIANS REPORT PROGRESS. LONDON, Jan. 20. A Russian, supplement on Wednesday' morning stated: On the southern front, fierce fighting is in progress for 'one large locality in tne area south-west of Orlovskaya (on the north bank of the River Sal). On another sector of the same front, the Russians are mopping ud the encircled enemy force. In the Nortnern Caucasus, Russian troops, after occupying Cherkessk, crossed the Kuban River. The enemy is offer.ng stubborn resistance, but the Russians forging ahead, have occupied a number of localities. Leningrad Battles STIFFER ENEMY STAND. RUSSIAN GAIN ON LAKE LADOGA (Rec. 8 p.m.) LONDON, Jan. 20. Reports from Moscow indicate that there is a furious battle progressing in the Leningrad area to-day. 'The Germans are striving desperately to prevent the Russians froni widening a nine-mile corridor linking General Govorovs forces with General Meretskovs forces in Volkhov area. The British United Press correspondent at Moscow says: “The German resistance in Leningrad area has stiffened but Russian forces smashed another strong point. They seized booty. “Even a more furious battle is now developing in swampy forests south of Lake Ladoga. There the Red Army advanced southwards after mopping up the whole south bank of the lake and the left batik of the Neva River. The roar of gunfire echoes unceasingly through the forests there, while heavy tanks rumble across half-frozen marches. The Break-through ' FROM' LENINGRAD. j DETAILS OF NEVA OPERATIONS. i (Rec. 8 p.m.) LONDON, Jan. 20 ■ A British United Press correspondent at Moscow stated: “StormoIviks played a vital part in support of ' ground forces in the recent battle for a crossing of the Neva. Grazing tree tops and telegraph poles, they pounded German positions during General Govorov’s break through, while ski troops riaced across the frozen. Lake Ladoga, and, stealing through forests, took the enemy by’ surprise. One of the bloodiest batitles in the Leningrad break through 'occurred in the workers’ settlement ;in Sinyavino, which crack German troops were defending. It changed hands several times. It was finally taken after the Germans lost more ■than 10,000 in killed aiid wounded. A Russian supplementary communiaue on Wednesday' stated: South of Lake Ladoga, where the German land blockade of Leningrad was pierced, Russian forces wages offensive engagements. Many' prisoners, including a German battalion commander, were taken at Schlusselberg. AID FOR RUSSIA., LONDON, Jan. 20. The United Stataes Lend-Lease Department released figures which reveal an increasing flow of Am’erican and British supplies to the Soviet Union. Goods sent in November 1942. were 13 times greater than those sent in January, 1942 and to January 1, the United States had shipped" more than 3200 tanks and 2600 planes more than had been shipped to the United Kingdom 1 or any other military theatre under Lend-Lease. America had also sent 81.000 trucks or other military motorvehicles. Britain had also supplied over 2600 tanks and 2000 planes. Shipments of food to the Soviet were also growing and the United States was sending more than to Britain, as food was considered just as vital o Russia’s war effort as munitions of war.