Red Annies Closing In on Viazma

Manawatu Times, Volume 68, Issue 60, 12 March 1943, Page 5

Red Annies Closing In on Viazma

(By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) Received Thursday, 11.50 p.m. LONDON, Mar. 11. The Red Army in the last 12 hours west and south oi xxiiarxov nas iougfic Hitler s cracx divisions to a stanascm, says Reuter's ivioscow correspondent, ‘me Germans failed to make any nirther gains and lost another 40 tanks. The ivussians menacing amoiens* are advancing from Byeloi and are now hearing down on Nixitinxa. The Russian spearheads from Sychevka and Gjatsk made another leap nearer Viazma, advancing on a great combined arc which has already reduced hy onethird the enemy quadrangle which threatened Moscow. The Vichy radio reports that the Russians are trying to bypass Staraya Russa. It is still very cold in this sector and armoured units can operate over the ice of Lake Ilmen. The Red Army south of Lake Ilmen is trying at any cost to break through to Lake Peipus and Kholm. Berlin reports state that a new German counter-offensive has begun west of Kursk. The Germans claim to he progressing rapidly eastwards. The Moscow correspondent of the Times says the German concentration before Kharkov contains a greater mass of armour than the Wehrmacht has ever assembled for a single operation but it is reported not to have met with further success south of Kharkov in the past 24 hours. The Red Star states that Russian anti-tank equipment is adequate for the frustration of the enemy designs. Six hundred and fifty German tanks are reported to have been destroyed during the counter-offensive against Kharkov. The Germans are reported to be using 12 armoured infantry divisions and one mechanised division in the Kharkov area. Very heavy fighting is going on southward of Lake Ilmen, where Marshal Timoshenko’s armies are gradually edging westward in one of the most difficult campaigning terrains imaginable. Attention is mainly held by the central front, where the Russian offensive is developing impressively. Several converging advances seriously threaten Viazma. The capture of Temkino, which is a highway crossroad, leaves only one road , open for the Germans retreating to Viazma. A Berlin radio military spokesman said the Russians have launched new mass attacks against Staraya Russa, also on the bend of the Lovat River and extended their thrusts to the shore of Lake Ilmen.