GERMAN RETREAT

Grey River Argus, 19 February 1943, Page 5

GERMAN RETREAT

IN THE UKRAINE Effects of Kharkov’s Fall MORE TOWNS TAKEN. [Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] LONDON, Feb. 17. A special Soviet, communique states: In the Ukraine, to-day, soviet troops, after stubborn fighting occupied the town and railway junction of Slovansk, 90 miles south-east of Kharkov; Tovenki. Sverdlovsk, and Bogodukhov, 30 miles west-north-west of Kharkov; and Zmiyev, 20 miles south of. Kharkov, in the Kursk area. Soviet troops, continuing to develop their offensive, occupied, Graivoron, 90 miles due south of Kursk, and 40 miles north-west of Kharkov. Another Moscow report says the Russians, pushing on from Kharkov in a swift night advance covered 10 miles of ihe 80 to the next German base, Poltava, and are moving rapidly along the Kharkov-Poltava railway without encountering serious opposition. Other Russian columns are pushin along the Sea of Azov shore from Rostov, and are now within 12 miles of Ta'ganrag, whose fall appears imminent . German resistance is weakening. The fall of Novorossisk also seems imminent. Street fighting is renorted there. The Columbia Broadcasting System’s Moscow correspondent reports that, the Russians are chasing remnants of the S.S. Corps along the railway to Poltava. The Berlin radio reported that powerful Russian forces broke through the Orel sector, but Germans counter-attacked and closed the gap. GERMAN VERSION. 'LONDON, Feb. 17. The Berlin radio describing the destruction the Germans cattied OU at Kharkov, said: “The was a sea of flames. All military and traffic installations were blown up, making the centre impassable. HUGE RUSSIAN TANKS. (Rec. 12.30.) LONDON, Feb 18. A cable from Berlin states that a Zurich message emphasised that at Lake Ilmen, a Russian offensive was being carried out with an unprecedented amount of war material, especially tanks and artillery and one source stated the majority of the tanks were brand new, especially a “T. 34” type, and fifty-two-tonners, this being further evidence of the So-, viet’s gigantic reserves.

Russian Control of Ukraine LONDON EXPECTATIONS. LONDON, Feb. 17. A Moscow message stated: kov was captured in howling winds and raging snowstorms, after tne most stubborn resistance by. a P l^® 1 of enemy troops fighting to the last, after all paths of retreat were intercepted. The battle for the State bank lasted 24 hours. Here, and in a famous tractor plant, Germans resisted bitterly, and were wiped out. Ihe Germans expected the main hl° w from the east, and it was there they concentrated the heaviest force ol motorised infantry and tanks, but tni. Russian troops made a sudden swoop south-east and cut the enemy line or retreat. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent stated: In a’ triumph of strategy whereby the city of normally a million people fell, General Golikov completely hood-winked the German commander, who expected the brunt of the final assault to come from the east side of the city, where he conepntrated His main forces. Greneiai Golikov sweeping round the Germans to the rear cut "'the two remaining railways in German hands, leading out of Kharkov to the west and south-west. The Russians then launched the main attack from the north, instead of from the east as the Germans expected. Soviet cavalry stand’n" in readiness south of Kharkov at Taranovka, galloped a dozen miles on the night-of February 13 and cut the Kharkov-Dnepropetrovsk Troops under General Moskalenko simultaneously made a surprise attack from the north, and having thrust to Zolocheve, Mosxalenko turned his division in their tracks, ana marched south-east, straight against Kharkov. After covering many rn.les forced marching, Moskalenko s men at dawn of February 14 reached tne near approaches of Kharkov, whose inhabitants could hear their sliouts. The German garrison was then nan encircled. The air force then entered the battle with mass raids aga nst the defence, while troops attacked from all sides. The Germans never bad a chance of taking up positions outside Kharkov. They found lines of retreat eastward blocked by soviet cavalry, tanks and ski troops. The Russians, in a’ driving snowstorm entered the city proper on Monday from the north-west, north and east. The SS. garrison fought fiercely from house’to house. The struggle for the State bank lasted twenty-four hours. It took the Germans, sixteen months ago, six weeks of bitter lighting to take the citv which the Russians had retaken after a final assault lasting only three days The capture is described in London military circles as disrupting- the whole German rail communications on that nart of the front and confirms that the Germans are now m full retreat on the whole front from Kursk to Tanganrog. The Red Army won (the greatest strategic victory throughout the war. It makes the whole western Ukraine untenable for the Germans. He who holds Kharkov controls the Ukraine. The rapid envelopment and subsequent fall ot th® city, which last spring so stoutly withstood A Russian offensive is an unmistakeable sign of collapsing German morale. -By this latest victory the Russians ere demonstrating that the impetus of their offensive is far from spent and may yet break finally the Nazis’ aggressive power. in London comments emphasised that the city controls the network of eight railways and six main roads. Without it the Germans are virtually, deprived of communications strong enough to maintain an army east of the Dnieper. Its fall unhinges the- whole of their supply position in the centre and north. Kharkov has commercial and industrial in addition to military value. Its tractor plant previously employed 30,000 operatives and was second only to Stalingrad’s plant. It also has mammoth agricultural machinery, factory, and electrical equipment works. The Russians are now in virtual control of the Orel-Crimea railway, which is the most important strategic line along the whole Russian front. The opinion is also expressed that the advance from Dnepropetrovsk to Zaporoze can now be pressed confidently, that the grand scale encirclement of the Donetz basin is in progress of completion, and that a repetition of the. Stalingrad 'success seems to be within the Russian grasp. Moscow’s joy is reflected in Soviet broadcasts which indeed indicate that the spirit of victory animates all Soviet Russia. The radio told the story of Kharkov over and over again all day. Ukrainian writers and ■> poets read and recited articles and /poems apparently written overnight, hailing the Red Army’s achievements: The story is told with the usual accompanying details of German terrorism.