DONETZ RIVER

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24538, 22 March 1943, Page 3

DONETZ RIVER

enemy RUSSIAN SETBACK POSITION CRITICAL STAND AT CHCGIJIEV 3y Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (g f cd. 51-21 > !>•'"•> LONDON, March _M The great battle for the Donetz ftjver is still raging in all its fury round the Red Army bridgehead in the Chuguicv area, about 25 miles south-east of Kharkov. The Germans a re making a determined attempt to wipe this bridgehead out. The Soviet position became very critical to-day, when the Russians were pushed back at one point. The official news from Moscow of this setback follows similar news from correspondents at the front. The Germans have been continuing with fierce attacks, first on one gector and then on another, but the Russians, although hard pressed, have been standing up valiantly. There is nothing in the news of this setback to suggest anything in the nature of a major break-through. Enemy Claims Success The German news agency claims that Chuguiev is firmly in German hands, also that Sievsk and Tomarovka have been taken by storm. A correspondent says: "The Germans may bo doing well, but so aro the Russians, and it may even yet be shown that the severe losses the Germans are piff&ring for the gain of little ground oße a bad investment." Every day fctinga new evidence of the price the jfierrnans are having to pay.

The German attacks on tlie Donetz front consist of two main thrusts, one north of Kharkov and the other to the south-east. In the thrust to the north the enemy claims the capture of Bielgorod by a surprise push, but this is not confirmed. Bielgorod is on the railway to Kursk. This fighting is described by Moscow as a combination of positional warfare and a war of manoeuvre, the cause being tho river which divides the main opposing forces. The river is 200 to 300 yards wide, and still has thick layers of ice on it, but already the ice is covered with a few inches of water and a continuance of mild weather might make the river impassable. At one point German tanks attempting an unprepared crossing crashed through the ico. Fresh German Forces The Soviet Air Force is heavily attacking the Germans, particularly their lorry-borne troops. In the thrust south-east of_ Kharkov much depends upon the important bridgehead of Chuguiev. The Russians admit that tho Germans have penetrated their positions in the Chuguiev area, where tho Germans are throwing in fresh forces in order to widen the gap. The retention of tho Chuguiev sector is vital for the protection of the Russian left flank in the direction of Volshansk. It is very difficult to prevent the Germans, under cover of darkness, from placing pontoon bridges across the river at some points along the 150 miles of its upper reaches. If the ice on the Donetz breaks up the rivor for days will be a swirling mass of ice, whieli will sweep away pontoon bridges. Meanwhile, light Russian units are taking advantage of the ice to make swift raids on the western bank and mirio most of the important crossing places. Dominating Position Chuguiev is the key point of the critical battle of the Donetz River, says tho Daily Kxpress correspondent in Moscow. The immediate future of the southern operations depends on the results of the battle east of the town, which has been going oil for a week. Chuguiev, like a little Stalingrad, stands on the western hank of the" Donetz and dominates the deep bend over which runs t ; he main road from Kharkov to Voroshilovgrad find the railway line eastward. Tho Times' Moscow correspondent says that, although the position on the Donetz is serious, the Russians have succeeded in steadying the situation, which last week-end looked very black. They are now battling for control of the low hills on the east bank between Isynm and Chuguiev. The Russians, if they hold these, will bo ahlo to bring the crossings under a barrage. 'I ho ltussiants announce that they securely hold a xtrntch of these hills. According to a Berlin spokesman, tho battle in tho Orel region has again flared up, owing to a fresh outburst of Hussian initiative in the form of a mass artillery attack in the southern^ sector. Red .Arniv engineers have invented porta Mo roads for boggy ground during the spring fighting. TJio roads consist of 12-foot lengths of heavy planking attached to wide strips which can b° loaded on to lorries. Tho lengths are laid end wise. Nailed together, they make an all-weather surface which does not sink in th(> mud, Some of these roads run for miles across the steppes. GOEBBELS' PROPHECY LONDON, March 20 "Britain and America cannot defeat J' a ; " declared Goebbels in an article in Das Reich. "Not only for us, but for Britain and America, a decision come in the Fast. One has only read the British press carefully to We that the British Empire is gripped % a hidden but clear fear of death. /'Traditional British diplomacy has foiled, it wanted to act in a completely jVperior way, but only succeeded in wipg too clever, and is now about to '°se all. It is unlikely Britain and America, can beat Qennany and her allies without Britain and America e j n ff destroyed. 'Just as Britain possesses the weapon of air warfare, we possess the Weapon of U-boat warfare, which is n")ro dangerous for Britain. Britain no counter-measures against us. " e _ will very soon have the weapon a fiainst air warfare in sufficient quantities." , ; '; j ♦ CHURCHILL TO SPEAK ® ec d. 8.5 p.m > LONDON, March 21 , Th 0 Pi imo Minister, Mr. Churchil l P broadcast at 8 p.m., Greenwich to-dav (8 a.m., Monday, New rs' a hd time). It is expected that he * s |*ak for nearly an hour.