RED ARMY AT RJEV

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24836, 9 February 1942, Page 6

RED ARMY AT RJEV

■\~ ♦♦ *■■. CIW SURROUNDED THE LENINGRAD FRONT ENEMY RING THINNING (Rec.;9.50 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 7. General Gregory Zhukov's force* have entirely surrounded Rjev, the siege of which is now in full swing. Violent battles are taking place on the .' eastern and western approaches to the city,: and Russian infantry is capturing concrete pillboxes one after another, in spite of a deluge of artillery and machine-gun fire. Rjev's food supply is running short, and German v planes are obliged to run the gauntlet of Russian fighters and anti-aircraft fire in J order to drop packets of concentrated food, into the town. Fresh Russian reserves have reached the Lerimgrad front, where the enemy ring is being thinned down daily.- The enemy lost 1500 killed In one battle. " The Stockholm correspondent of the Daily Telegraph says that the Russians have occupied Petropavlovsk, on the River Samara, 60 miles to the'east of Dnepropetrovsk. .■•'■'.'■'...■'■.;■■ Russian -progress to the north and south of Kharkov seems to be 'developing satisfactorily. Cavalry infiltration here is playing*a useful part,, and guerrillas are aiding the cavalry in operations over country far. from recognised routes. Guerrillas are also' successfully ■'■ raiding communications in the rear of the German positions atKursk.' f The Moscow radio reports fresh Russian successes in the advance toward Smolensk. The enemy is offering fierce resistance but has been obliged to fall back under repeated Russian blows.