FURTHER NORTH

Grey River Argus, 27 February 1943, Page 5

FURTHER NORTH

Red Army Offensive

COMING BIG MOVE IN CENTRE

AND NORTH.

(Rec. 9.30.) LONDON, Feb. 25. The “Daily Telegraph’s” Stockholm correspondent says:— Messages reaching Stockholm suggest that the Russians are on the eve of the greatest offensive on the central and northern fronts. Russian forces are strongly attacking Gjatsk, which is the corner stone of defences covering Viazma and Smolensk. Bitter fighting is raging. Both sides are throwing in strong forces of bombers and fighters. Russian armoured‘units, infantry and endless supply columns are streaming to the front. North to Rjev and also at the southern and northern tips of Lake Ilmen north of Rjev, German bombers are doing their utmost to smash these columns, but the Russians have strong fighter support, while lorries cruise beside maching men, spreading smoke-screens. Determined Russian attacks are reported north-east ana. south-east of Novgorod (north 01. Lake Ilmen) which is a big German supply base. One Russian column is driving down the Volkhov Valley towards Novgorod and another is attacking across the ice of Lake Ilmen.

Northern Front

LONDON, Feb. 26

The operations on the Lake Ilmen front have really gathered intensity' this week. The whole area is now very active. Russians are attacking on broad fronts north and south of the Lake-while operations are probably occurring across the Lake whose ice still bears moderately heavy traffic. Mr. Stimson, U.S. War Secretary, told a Press conference that the Russians’ persistent pressure in widening the Leningrad corridor might separate Finland from the Germans, possibly accounting for rumours that Finland is seeking a separate peace.-

Donbas Struggle

GROWS FIERCER

[Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] LONDON, February 25

On the southern front in Russia fighting is fiercest just south: of the Donetz River, in the region north of Stalino, and at some places on the rivei’ itself. The fighting here lias reached a new pitch of intensity. The Germans are also resisting Strongly' south-west of Kramatorskaya. and are exerting every' effort to hold the Russian threat to Mariupol. The crucial battle in the Donetz Basin, .south of Stalino, governs the fate of considerable German forces in the Stalino-Tangarog areas, who will be cut off if the Russians are able to clinch the last fortnight’s outflanking move towards the Sea of Azov, .. Russian forces pressed on further west of Kharkov and captured anothed town after hard fighting.. They have achieved other gains north of Kursk and hav e pressed nearer’ to Orel.

The United States’s War Secretary Mr. Stimson at a Press conference said: The steady highly satisfactory progress of the Soviet Army continues. The Russians are now controlling virtually all railroads in the Northern Caucasus, Don and Donetz Basin. The Germans ’are” striving to maintain escape corridors to the Dnieper. Nevertheless, there is a strong possibility that substantial numbers o! Axis troops will be cut off in the Caucasus.

German Success

TWO PLACES RETAKEN

IN DONETZ BASIN.

LONDON. February 26.

The Germans claim an important success in the crucial .Donetz Basin battle. The Berlin radio said that Kramatorskaya and Krasnoarmeysk were again firmly in German hands, after being lightly occupied by the Russans. The recapture of Kramatorskaya and Krasnoarmeysk, if confirmed, prove that the Germans have gained ground in a thrust from the west against the Russians, who sought a thrust towards Mariupol from the springboard gained by crossing the Donetz between Isyum and Lisichansk. ' If the German claims are true Kramatorskaya and Krasnoarmeysk are theii’ first territorial gains for at least three months. The map shows that this gain was made when the area was already under an acute threat of outflanking by thei Russians advancing on a broad front towards the Dnieper, west and south-west of Kharkov. Reports from Berlin and Moscow

agree that the fighting is increasing in intensity in the whole area west and north-west of Rostov as the Gelmans have thrown in reserves m an attempt to hold up the Russian advance The Russians state that the Germans are continually counter-at-tacking with the support of strong tank and air forces. Russian reports continue to emphasive that 31 German Divisions have been transferred to Russia from France, the Low Countries and Norway in the last-.three months, while the Luftwaffe is continually bringing up planes from France. Germany and North Africa.