CRIMEA PUSH

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24868, 14 April 1944, Page 3

CRIMEA PUSH

STRIDES OF4O MILES DRIVE 10 CAPITAL TWO FORCES LINKING •PLANES PLAY BIG PART By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright; (Reed. 6.10 p.m.) LONDON, April 13 The Russians in the Crimea are sweeping forward with little evidence of real resistance. General Yeremenko's tank forces and tommygunners have advanced 40 miles since capturing Kerch and have cleared the whole Kerch Peninsula. They have forced the defences running across the isthmus between it and the rest of the Crimea, and reached points barely 10 miles from the port of Theodosia. Forty miles of open country last night divided them from General Tolbukhin's spearheads striking down from the north. Another spearhead is thrusting toward the Crimean capital of Simferopol. These troops advanced 40 miles last night from the railway junction of Dzhankoi. A Soviet communique says : "Troops of the Fourth Ukrainian Front penetrated the strongly-fortilied Ishun positions in Northern Crimea and, pursuing the enemy, fought their way into over 150 places, one of which is 11 miles north of Simferopol. The enemy, retreating under the Red Army's attacks, is suffering heavy losses in men and equipment." 39 German Aircraft Brought Down The Russian Air Force is playing a big part in the Crimean campaign and vesterday brought down 39 German aircraft. In an attack on shipping at Theodosia, Russian planes sank nine vessels. The Russians have taken several airfields, which will add to the difficulties of the enemy's occupation. Reuter's correspondent in Moscow ears that in the five days since General Tolbukhin first struck from the north across Perekop Isthmus and the Sivash the Germans nave abandoned three successive very strong positions, each oii which could easily have been defended. The Russian Army newspaper Red Star says Kerch is a dead city over which a heavy pall of smoke is still i hanging. The Germans long ago deported the local population, except for a few hundred citizen® who were living in deep caves Wreckage in Kerch A correspondent in Moscow says that Kerch was found to be the usual group of ruins marking a German retreat after long occupation. The steel plant was wrecked, the tobacco factory and cannery were burned out. and even the huts of workmen and fishermen had been burned down the landing on Kerch Peninsula in November Was made by marines of the Red Fleet, who gained a bridgehead 2000 yards long and POO yards deep six miles south of Kerch, says a correspondent. While the marines were engaging the Germans, another force made the main landing north-east of the town of Kerch Tough Russian marines later actually broke through tbe German lines, moved around Kerch and joined up with the main body. The Berlin radio military commentator Hallensleben said: "It is not inconvenient that the Russians are concentrating their efforts against the Crimea at the moment. German coun-ter-measures are taking shape on the approaches to the Carpathians. BLACK SEA PORT RAIDED RUSSIANS BOMB CONSTANTA LONDON, April 12 The .Moscow radio announced that, large forces of Russian long-range planes last night attacked the port, railway junction and oi 1 _ plant at Constanta, on the Rumanian Black Sea coast. Large fires, accompanied by j explosions.® broke out in the target area. A considerable part of the port was enveloped in flames. Several fires were started in the oil centre area. Reuter's correspondent points out that Constanta is the Black terminal of the pipeline from Ploestu It is also the nearest port to the Crimea still in German hands. 10,000 NAZIS ESCAPE OPENING OF SCALA POCKET (Eerd. 6.30 prfiij LONDON, April 13 Only 10,000 organised German troops and B*o tanks escaped from the Skala pocket, on the Proskurov salient, where the remnants of 1-1 enemy divisions were trapped, including seven armoured divisions. Over 26.000 Germans were killed and nearly 7000 taken prisoner in ten days' fighting. A new situation has been created m j the Tarnopol sector, where fighting is likely to enter an even more violent phase. The inabilitv of Marshal Zhukov to give undivided attention to the battle south-west of Tarnopol and west of Skala is one of the reasons given in Moscow for the German success at Skala, says the Moscow correspondent of the Exchange Telegraph Company. EMERGING FROM CAVES REFUGEES IN ODESSA LONDON, April VJ Hundreds of Russians who took refuge "in the catacombs of Odessa are now emerging pale, bearded and haltstarved. Thev tell how, with wireless sets, they followed the Red Arlnv s progress toward Odessa, wrote out the ItUs- - sia.n communiques in pencil and circulated the>e in primitive newspapers throughout the city from hand to hand. The Moscow radio says that among ( those killed in Odessa were famous academician 1 -, scientists fi|| d professors of Odessa I'diversity. Riles ot corpses were found at Gestapo headquarters SPANIARDS WITHDRAWN NONE LEFT IN RUSSIA 6.30 p.m.) .MADRID, April 13 Members of the Spanish \ olunteer Legion, numbering 650, have returned from the Russian front and will be disbanded. There are now no Spanish forces on the Russian front. ASSAILANT'S DEATH SHOT AT MEXICAN PRESIDENT (Reed. (5.10 p.m.) MEXICO CITY. April 13 Lieutenant Rojas, who attempted to assassinate the President of Mexico. Central Camacho, died from peritonitis due to an abdominal bullet wound. Fourteen people have been arrested °n charges of plotting to assassinate President Camacho and members of his Cabinet. A cablegram published on Wednesday Kays that President Camacho was shot by Lieutenant Rojas when walking from his car to a private elevator in the National Palace. The President was Sot wounded. Rojas was arrested and "iter it was officially announced that, he gravely wounded when attempting *0 eec&pa from a military prisoji.