FORGING AHEAD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24834, 6 February 1942, Page 5

FORGING AHEAD

THE RED ARMY ON ROAD TO SMOLENSK THE BATTLE AT KHARKOV GERMAN LINES BROKEN LONDON, Feb. 5. ■ A Kuibyshev communique states that Marshal Timoshenko’s forces, operating on the Kharkov front, have broker, through the German lines in two places. Berlin admits heavy Russian attacks in this sector, and says that they were launched in a blizzard, which made things “ very difficult ” for the Germans. The Red Army continues to forge westwards along the road to SmolensK. The Germans are making desperate counter-attacks to check the Russian advance. In one sector they were flung back and 1000 soldiers who tried to hold an important point found their graves. Nazi Stand at Fortifications Other despatches state that the retreating Germans have reached their fortifications in many sectors and are turning to give battle to the Russians. According to a high military authority in Moscow, the Nazis are now making a desperate stand, but the Russians are steadily pushing forward. The Moscow paper Izvestia says that the Germans are retreating in the Smolensk area. They arc badly bustled and no longer masters of the strategic situation. The Russians are using massed artillery in their offensives in the form of a battering ram. Petrovka, 20 miles south of Barvenkova, has been captured by the Russians, who are now pushing south-east. The Russian advance is believed in London to be progressing well in the north and central sectors and in the Ukraine, while the Russian hold on the Kerch Peninsula has not been shaken by the loss of Theodosia. Retreating Enemy The Soviet High Command announces the continuance last night of operations against the Germans. A supplementary report states; “ In one part of the. central front one of our units, in fierce fighting with the retreating enemy, in <m e day killed 130 Germans, destroyed one transport column, two ammunition dumps, and some anti-aircraft batteries, and captured many horses. In another part, on February 2, our troops repulsed an attack by a reinforced enemy regiment. The enemy' left over 100 killed. In one part of the Leningrad front the enemy lost about 800 killed. Our troops destroyed 16 pill boxes and dugouts; two guns, six machine-guns, three mortars, and 40 lorries. Soviet air units on the north-west front, from December 20 to February 3, destroyed 767 lorries with troops and army supplies, about 300 wagons, 21 field guns, 13 anti-aircraft batteries, and six ammunition dumps, and dispersed 3500 men.” The Kuibyshev radio says that the Red Army on the south-western front pierced the German system of defences both north and south. The Germans are retreating with the Russians in close pursuit. Two Rumanian Divisions including some cavalry and armoured units, were completely wiped out in recent fighting in the “Crimea. Defence of Sebastopol Izvestia says that incessant fighting is raging in the mountains at the approaches to Sebastopol. The defenders are dealing the Germans heavy blows. Workers are aef ending the city shoulder to shoulder with the Red Army and Navy. Women workers and housewives are actively participating in the defence, digging trenches and helping to erect fortifications. The Moscow radio quotes Pravda’s war correspondent describing the capture of Losovaga, which w is announced on January 29, in the following words: —“ The Russian attack was so heavv and swift that the Germans evacuated Losovaga most hurriedly and left piles of war material, including 19 heavy howitzers., dozens of tanks, and several thousand lorries and cars, 1200 of which were new and had just been sent up from factories in Germany.” SPRING OFFENSIVE HITLER’S PREPARATIONS DISORGANISED BY RED ARMY (Rec. 1.15 a.m.) LONDON, Feb. 5. The fiercest battles are raging on the eastern front over its entire length. The Russians are convinced that Hitler is attempting a gigantic offensive for the spring and their object is to disorganise these preparations, first, by striking deep against German communications, and, secondly, by forcing the Germans to bring up divisions which were taken to the rear for rest and re-equipment. The Russians are succeeding in this and new German forces are appearing on nearly all the major fronts. The threat to the important lateral railways from Leningrad to Vitebsk continues and all reports suggest that the Russians in this region are doing their utmost to prepare a renewed thrust on a scale comparable with that which carried them to Kholm and Toropets. The Russians on the central front already control parts of the second lateral line linking Rjev, Viazma and Bryansk, but the situation is most serious for the Germans in the Ukraine. German communications with the forces in the Donetz basin depend on the holding of the rail junctions of Sinelnikovo and Zaporozhe. The momentum of the Russian advance is such, however, that neither of these keypoints can be considered not to be threatened. SUPPLIES FROM AMERICA V RECENT LAG CAUSING CONCERN .NEW YORK, Feb. 4. Less than half the war equipment promised by the United States has been delivered to Russia in the last three months, says the Washington correspondent of the New York Times This is causing considerable concern to certain war administrators who know the extent of the German preparations for a new spring drive against Moscow.

The administrators point out that Britain feels impelled to keep up her deliveries to Russia to schedule, despite her own pressing needs in the Middle East. The problem caused by the lag in United States supplies is immediate, because of the length of time required to get material to the fighting front in Russia from America. Shipments take an avferage of between six and eight weeks to arrive at their destination, so that unless supplies are sent in greater quantities soon they may not arrive in time for the expected German offensive.

Some supplies were sent by foreign ships which were not properly checked for sabotage and which proved unseaworthy and had to return to port, involving unloading time. Other material was sent to the wrong ports for embarkation.