SALUTE OF GUNS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 79, 25 January 1944, Page 2

SALUTE OF GUNS

MOSCOW CELEBRATION (Rec. 1.20 p.m.) Rugby, Jan. 24. The occupation of two new important centres on the northern Russian front is announced in an order of the day issued by M. Stalin in an address to the Army of General Govorov. It states: “Troops of the Leningrad Front continuing their successful offensive today as the result of a skilful by-passing manoeuvre and violent frontal attack, occupied; the town Pushkin (Tsarskoyesel.o) and the town of Pavolvsk (Slutski,,; a.'large railway junction and powerful centre of German resistance.” Moscow saluted the victory to-night with twelve artillery salvos from 124 guns. Pushkin and Pavlovsk are close to each other some 16 miles south of Leningrad, the former on the Pskov line and the latter on the Novgorod line. Their capture means that the Russians are now driving through the German defences on a broader front than ever, while they have a short lateral railway linking two junctions to serve the forces immediately behind the front. This central thrust is now nearing other Russian forces thrusting south-west from the Mga-Kirish area at the north-east corner of the great square of defences running from the Oranienbaum on the northwest, towards Kirishi and then south through Chudovo to Novgorod.