SMOLENSK NEXT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24828, 30 January 1942, Page 5

SMOLENSK NEXT

THE RUSSIAN SWEEP BOLD ARTILLERY TACTICS ADVANCING WITH INFANTRY (Rcc. 11 p.m.) LONDON. Jan. 29. Russia's great armies are swinging south and threatening Smolensk, They are using as bases the towns they have already retaken from the Germans. Progress on the central front includes the recapture of a village, the enemy losing heavily in men and material.

The Moscow radio, commenting on the sinking of an enemy transport in the Baretan Sea, stated that submarines of the Soviet Northern Fleet have sunk 40 transports, totalling more than 500,000 tons, without losing a single vessel themselves, since the war began. On this account the enemy has been forced to give up offensive operations and take to the defensive. It is revealed that artillery in close co-operation with the attacking infantry played a dominant role in the Russian successes on both the north and western Moscow fronts.

The Russians use artillery boldly. Discarding the old-time technique of using guns from established positions, they move the artillery up with the advancing infantry, thus the striking power of the attacking force is greatly intensified. These are tactics which helped to bring the Germans succcess when they were on the offensive, but which now that they are on the defensive they have been forced to abandon.

The Kuibyshev radio announced that the Russians are now advancing south from Zapadnayadvina and Toropa, and the northern flank of the German troops holding Smolensk is directly threatened. To the west of the Valdai Hills the Russians continue to advance.

The Germans are reported to be building a defence line along the 1939 Russian-Polish border, another along the old Russian-Polish frontier, and a third along the river Oder. Enemy Battalions Routed

The Russians, who with cold fury are driving the invaders step by step from their country, had a successful day on Tuesday. The Air Force on that day destroyed 13 tanks and 33 lorries, with troops and material, more than 50 ammunition carts. 10 anti-air-craft machine guns, and set Are to two trains, states a supplementary communique.

Four enemy infantry battalions were routed and partly annihilated. During the fighting on one sector of the central front on Monday Russian troops killed 300 officers and men, captured two guns, three machine guns and three mortars.

After hand-to-hand fighting Russian troops took a locality on the central sector of the front, captured three guns, six machine guns and a great amount of other war material. Near a village Russian troops repulsed three fierce enemy attacks. The enemy left on the battlefield more than 150 officers and men.

One of our units operating in the enemy's rear killed during four days' fighting 200 soldiers, and destroyed more than 30 lorries with ammunition. Praise for Guerrillas

The supplementary communique further praises the activities of the guerrillas for their help in the liberation of the Moscow district.

A Russian night communique slates: "On January 28 our troops engaged in violent fighting, inflicting heavy losses on the enemy and continuing to advance. On January 27, ( 29 enemy planes were destroyed. 12 in aerial combat and 17 on the ground on enemy aerodromes. We lost seven planes. On January 28 two enemy planes were destroyed near Moscow.

TREMENDOUS OPERATIONS THE RUSSIANS RETICENT (Rec. 0.45 a.m.) LONDON, Jan. 28. In spite of the persistence of the gruelling weather, the Russians continue remarkably strong pressure from the region of the Valdai Hills. The drive to the west has necessitated the bringing up of German reinforcements from their winter quarters in the Baltic States to prevent the severance of t»e important Vitebsk-Leningrad railway, and even if the Russians do not persist immediately in the drive to the railway these 'forces must be maintained. The chief Russian pressure seems at present to be directed to the south from the Rjev-Velikiyeluki railway. The Russians, according to the Kuibyshev radio, now stand '' before Velikiyeluki." but how close is uncertain. What is certain is that they are hammering a way to the south in an ambitious drive which possibly may develop into a vast encircling movement which may force the Germans in the Rjev-Viazma regions to withdraw or be cut off. Toropa is actually more to the west than Smolensk, and the Russians from this area are already within 100 miles of Smolensk.

Reports do not indicate the exact progress to Smolensk from the north-east, from the east, or from the south-east, but General Zhukov's armies in all these regions are apparently also about 100 miles from Smolensk. The Russians may even aim to sever both the north-south and east-west railways by a direct drive to Vitebsk, which, with a drive through Roslavl fo Rosha, would imperil immense German forces. The formidable German resistance offered after their withdrawal from Mojaisk suggests that General Zhukov's immediate aim is more likely to be closing the pincers at, or east of, Smolensk before attempting a further drive to the west. The Russians are reticent regarding the details of these tremendous operations, but the progress everywhere on these centra] sections of the front continues most satisfactorily. The Russians are also maintaining pressure to the west and north-west of the Volkhov front. The Germans admit that th? Russians made progress towards the envelopment of Mursk from the direction of Livny, and that the heavy Russian attacks continue without abatement from the east and south-east of Kharkov, though according lo the Germans, the attacks were " everywhere checked."

The Germans say that fighting has spread to the east coast of the Crimea and the Arabat Peninsula. The Russians retain the Kerch Peninsula and the Sebastopol area, but the position there or elsewhere in the Crimea is obscure.

VIAZMA-SMOLENSK AREA BIG RUSSIAN GAINS PROBABLE RUGBY. Jan. 23. Although no further place names arc officially mentioned, press reports in London continue to foreshadow big Russian gains in the Viazma-Smolensk area, where the Germans arc threatened from both flanks. An agency correspondent with the Red Army west of Mojaisk says the experience of travelling for two days with the advancing Red Army past Borodino and Uvarovo to the present battlefield is like passing through a land of flames. Beaten, shivering and despairing Germans lie in villages and towns which had been ravaged by the forced retreat of the German troops "Crows soared over smouldering ruins and* over the scattered bodies of killed Russians and Germans half-covered by snow, while isolated groups of men, women and children looked in vain lor their homes on returning from hiding in the forest," he said. "Along the roads marched Red Army men. with guns, ammunition and field kitchens They were warmly dressed and wore felt boots. They looked lough, and their morale was excellent. Planes

•patrolled overhead all day, but we did not see a single German aircraft. The only visible signs of German equipment were wrecked enemy tanks, lorries, armoured cars and field guns, which had been left in the hasty retreat. They had been smashed and set on fire by the Germans. Another feature was the German cemeteries spreading alang the way. But there were also living Germans lingering here and there As the colonel who was conducting us round said, pointing to his revolver and to the automatic riflemen accompanying us: 'We are prepared for any emergency. There are many groups of enemy soldiers still wandering in the forests cut on" from the main body of the retreating army.' " The German prisoners had not heard that Germany was at war with the United States, and their faces showed surprise at the news. They said they had suffered severely irom the cold. Many were clothed insufficiently. 'We have not changed our underwear for three weeks.' they said, 'and we have plenty of lice and are suffering from slomaeh trouble, but the main source of our discomfort is the cold.'"