German Thrust on Kharkov Halted

Manawatu Times, Volume 68, Issue 59, 11 March 1943, Page 5

German Thrust on Kharkov Halted

Fall of Viazma Reported Imminent (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) Received Wednesday, 10.55 p.m. LONDON, Mar. 10. The evacuation of Krasnograd, Losovaya, Pavlograd, Kramatorskaya, Barvenkovo, Slavyansk and Lisichansk is admitted in a Moscow communique which adds: “Enemy efforts to force the Northern Donetz and recapture Kharkov have been unsucessful, the enemy losing 20,000 dead. “The Germans in the Donetz Basin area re-equipped eight tank and five infantry divisions which were previously smashed and also recently threw in lour tank and seven infantry 'divisions and a motorised division from Western Europe, thereby concentrating 25 divisions in one narrow sector with which they delivered a powerful offensive against the Russians moving towards the Dnieper. * * The Germans by deep envelopments aimed to surround and destroy the advanced Russian forces and captuure Kharkov. The Russians after delaying actions against the numerically superior enemy on orders from the High Command retreated north-eastward to the vicinity of the Upper Donetz, evacuating the towns mentioned. “The enemy’s further attempts to develop their offensive, cross the Northern Donetz and recapture Kharkov were stubbornly resisted and are not meeting with success. A fierce battle in which the Germans are losing enormously in men and material, especially tanks, is continuing southward and westward of Kharkov. “Westward of Gjatsk (northern front) we occupied several dozen villages and captured Tenkino which is 30 miles east of Viazma. We repelled counter-attacks attempting to hold up the Russian advance in several sectors and freed 1500 Russians Hitler intended for slavery. “South of Lake Ilmen we occupied Staro Ramsushevo and Novo Ramsushevo which are respectively 15 miles south-west of Staraya Russa and 35 miles north of Demyansk. ’ ’ The Daily Express’s Stockholm correspondent says reports from Russian and German source indicate that the fall of Viazma is imminent. The main Russian assault columns closing in from the north and east are believed to be five miles from the heart of the city. The Russians are heavily shelling the garrison which is retreating. Emphasising the increasing in the fighting in northern sectors of the Donetz Basin, the Times Stockholm correspondent attributes it to heavy German tank counter-attacks which the Russians have completely withstood. The Germans are losing heavily. The correspondent adds: “Reports from Berlin suggest that German activity is designed as a preventive delaying measure somewhat resembling Rommel’s rather than a co-ordinated offensive.’’ The Berlin radio to-night claimed that the Germans had crossed the railway between Poltava and Kharkov at several points, capturing important localities. The German-controlled Scandinavian Telegraph Bureau, however, stated that the Russians had halted the German counter-stroke towards Kharkov where the Russians brought up heavy artillery, anti-tank guns and multi-barrelled quickfiring guns. Reuter's Moscow correspondent says Russian military circles are amused at the German excuses for the reverses when the Wahrmacht had been outgeneralled and outfought. The Russians do not announce the capture of a town until they have completed its occupation, and the Germans taking advantage of the few hours’ lapse broadcast assertions that they have withdrawn according to plan whereas in every case they have been hurled out after heavy fighting. The German evacuation of Byeloj according to plan and without enemy pressure is announced by the Berlin radio which added: “All the military installations were destroyed and all stores avacuated. The enemy followed our movements only hestitatingly. ’ ’