LULL IN RUSSIA

Grey River Argus, 19 May 1944, Page 6

LULL IN RUSSIA

GENERALS DECORATED. ’LONDON, May 17. A Soviet communique on Wednesday night stated there had been no change anywhere on the front. _ A Soviet communique says: Russian long-range planes on Tuesday night bombed concentrations of enemy trains, military dumps, and rail-junc-tions at Minsk; Baronovichi (sixtyfive miles south-west of Minsk) ana Kholm (midway between Kowel and Lublin). Seven fires were started at Minsk which spread into one vast conflagration. Violent explosions were observed. There were many military trains at Kholm at the time of the raid. Several were directly hit. Many fires were started accompanied by large explosions. Reconnaissance has shown that cars, open trucks and stores at the junction were set on fire.

Press messages from Moscow say Soviet forces are rehearsing and perfecting their tactics for a big push. For many hundred miles on the front only a rumble of artillery and patrols give any hint of a Russian offensive to come, but behind the Russian lines, the lull of the past month has been a lull in name only, while men and material have been massing. The British United Press correspondent at Moscow says: The Russian war for the moment has become a battle of bombers. Russian and German bombers are nightly hammering bases, behind each other s lines—the Russians in preparation for comming attacks and the Germans in attempts to prevent attacks. Russian planes are massing behind the front to be thrown into battle _in support of ground' troons. . Russian Army Generals, Torbukhin, commander of the Fourth Ukrainian Front troops, and Yeremenko, commander of the Independent Maritime Army, who led the operations in the liberation of the Crimea have been awarded the Order of Suvorov, first class. One hundred and' twenty-six generals, officers and Red Army men have been awarded the title of “Hero of the Soviet Union,’’ and a great number of other awards are announced for generals, officers and men. The Order of Suvorov, has been awarded to three _of Britain’s service chiefs bv the Soviet Ambassador in London HVL Gusev). The recipients were Field-Marshal Sir Alan Brooke, Admiral of the Fleet Sir John Tovey, and Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Harris. The order, a fivepointed platinum star, was presented in the assembly hall of the Soviet Embassy in London. M. Gusev said that the awards were in recognition of the recipients’ meritorious military services and’ a. testimony of co-opera-tion between the armed forces of the Soviet Union and Britain.