Vigour, Weight Of Russian Advance Continues

Northern Advocate, 19 February 1942, Page 3

Vigour, Weight Of Russian Advance Continues

I (Rec. 1 p.m.) LONDON. Feb. 18. The phrase in the Russian communiques that the advance continues, gains significance as unofficial reports come in of striking successes on the central front and the Kalinin front. The vigour and weight of the Russian advance shows no signs of slackening. The Russians are waging war against the main enemy lines of communieai tion and the possession of the large i intervening areas is left in doubt because they are practically inaccessible. This explains why the Germans still hold important towns around which the Russians are poised. The Germans, with their supply lines gravely menaced if uninterrupted, and with little opportunity of replenishing I locally from the sullen peasantry do j not constitute a serious threat to the ! Russian positions. i To Quit Kharkov There are reports that the Germans are preparing to leave Kharkov. This projected move appears to be induced |by the Russian capture last Saturday |of Krasnograd, 70 miles south-west of Kharkov, this operation being successfully carried out under the personal command of Marshal Timoshenko. Moscow claims that a German counter-attack with tanks in the Kharkov area has failed. The Russians j state that the enemy is being worn down by constant Soviet attacks. The Russians are apparently still making progress towards Smolensk in spite of the fact that the Germans are | rushing up reinforcements from Orel. Russian guerillas have been very active behind the German lines in the Smolensk district. Hold at All Costs The Germans are making every effort to stem the Russian advance on the southern fronts. They have brought up reserves on the Donetz Basin front, but the Russians have inflicted severe casualties. The Germans have also reinforced the Crimean front, while the Germans south of Kharkov are finding great difficulty in maintaining their forward positions, which presumably are important in their plans for the spring offensive. The tenacity with which they are defending these positions suggests that they have been ordered to hold them at all costs.

Russian frontal attacks on this part of the front have not produced any general German withdrawal, but the Germans defending Taganrog failed to take adequate precautions against an attack across the ice.

Endurance Over Frozen Sea

The Russians, according to the Germans, came in an unexpectedly strong | force across the ice of the Sea of Azov, jand a large part of them were able to infiltrate with plentiful and various equipment. This implanted a feeling of insecurity in the Germans manning the frontal zones, especially those around Taganrog, who already were disturbed by Marshal Budenny’s cavalry descending from Losovaga and threatening all the German rear lines in the Donetz Basin. What these well-armed raiders have already accomplished cannot be summarised owing to the paucity of detail, but the German headaches appear to be due to a realisation that a junction of these forces with those from the Sea of Azov, which is highly possible, if not already achieved, will virtually encircle large units of Germans. The German anxiety seems to confirm that Marshal Timoshenko’s energy and initiative have already greatly complicated or even frustrated German plans for an early push to recover Rostov before a general offensive is initiated towards the Caucasus.

30 Miles from Latvia Advanced Russian cavalry units yesterday cut the Pskov-Vitebsk railway near the Drissa River, in the extreme north of White Russia, and destroyed six miles of it. They are now within 30 miles of the old Latvian frontier, says the “Daily Express” Stockholm correspondent. Several cavalry divisions, which carried out this thrust, pierced the German lines for about 30 miles southwest of Veliki Luki. The Russians on the central front have captured the town of Stiar, 36 miles north-east of Bryansk, capturing 71 guns and over 1000 trucks and lorries. According- to “The Times” Stockholm correspondent the Russians are hammering and hacking at the German arc around Leningrad, and appear to be making real progress. They are now in the process of relieving Leningrad by a corridor they have hewn through the deeply and densely-strengthen-ed German zone. Germans Anxious Authorised spokesmen in Berlin reveal anxiety , about the effect of these tireless Russian blows, which appear to be wearing down the German resistance, notwithstanding reinforcements from Estonia. According to the Associated Press correspondent, the Russians are now threatening Novgorod, north of Lake liman, after crushing formidable German counter-attacks. The Leningrad radio declared that active operations in this front are in full swing. General Feduninsky units have killed 700 Germans in the past two days and destroyed or captured much war material. By Sudden Thrusts The Moscow radio stated that the Russians on the Kalinin front have routed a concentration of German infantry by sudden thrusts. The remnants ran towards a village to rejoin other German units but the Russians rushed the viilage and threw them out. The army newspaper, “Red Star,” says Russians operating in the German rear on the Kalinin front have killed 1400 Germans in the past three months. The German radio reports that heavy fighTing is going on along the RjevVyazma front, and admits that German forces have been moved there in considerable numbers from the Orel front. The German military spokesman stated: “The east front is now consolidated. We have overcome the December crisis and have improved our supply lines, which are quite safe. The present defence lines are strong and well organised and will be held at any cost until the spring as a starting point for the spring offensive.”