TANK FORCES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24832, 4 February 1942, Page 5

TANK FORCES

DESTRUCTION BY RUSSIANS, WEAKENING NAZI POWER (Rec. 10 p.m.) ; LONDON, Feb. 2.. The Red Army expects that the Germans will use between 6000 and 7000 new tanks produced this winter for the spring offensive, says the Moscow correspondent of The Times. The-Luft-waffe since December has considerably reduced its operations, H: is, belisved. because; of the lack of ski fittings for: aircraft under-carriages. The Luftwaffe will unquestionably again operate in the spring/but the Russians have less regard for it than for German tanks, arid the current Russian offensives are intended to destroy the maximum number, of men and tanks and also to embarrass the -potential offensive by maintaining the initiative. This, according .to the latest reports from all sectors, they are succeeding in doing. ' :.•:, . The continued drain of German supplies as the Russians advance too quickly for them-to be removed to safety is shown in a supplementary Russian, communique,*- which .states: "At an important;railway junction our troops captured 154 wagons Iqaded with stijpplies; and at Sucinachi our troops captured 20 railway engines and 499 wagons loaded with military materials, 10 ammunition wagons. 108 lorries, -34 light cars, two tanks, and ; alsd other ; booty." '..' •. -.1 '. ~ . : ■",- '.'■"■ . .'.'■'■/■ i - Ths evacuation by the Russians .of Theodosia, in the Crimea, is announced in a Moscow communique. No reasons are given. ... A Soviet submarine in northern waters sank three enemy transports totalling 15,000 tons. Another sank a transport of 5000 tons. v ' >