RUSSIAN ATTACK

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24850, 25 February 1942, Page 5

RUSSIAN ATTACK

GIOTRAL FRONT SUCCESS ENEMY PUT TO FLIGHT LOSSES IN THE BALTIC Press Association) v.-,; ,:' (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) iCRee. 11 pun.) LONDON, Feb. 24. The Russian* launched a big attack on the cenp£ tral front on the morning of Monday, after preparations throughout the night. Towards the end of the day it was clear that the attack was entirely success- ': -' fuL Russian artillery at dawn laid down a terrific barrage, and Russian tanks and infantry overwhelmed the Germans and put them to flight. A Russian submarine recently passed through the Baltic minefield and sank four ships totalling 40,000 tons, including a 17,000-ton tanker. '■''} The. Norwegian News Agency says the Germans have ordered 500,000 pairs of skis from Norway for next winter's campaign in Russia. Moscow announces a new success on the central front, this being the recapture of the town of Dorogobuzh, between Viazma and Smolensk, and 50 miles east of the latter. The communique says that scores of guns pounded strong German positions, and after the barrage the infantry advanced, covered by tanks. '.; The Russian advance continues in the south, where fresh progress Was reported last night. The morning report announces the occupation of an important place in the: Kalinin sector and an advance in another sector in the centre. The Baltic fleets defending Leningrad, states a Moscow message, have destroyed 1000 fortified points and overwhelmed 50 enemy artilery batteries;' The message also announced that in the course of the seven months of war 110 soldiers, sailors, and airmen have been awarded the supreme honour of the Soviet Union, and nearly 40,000 have been awarded high battle honours. . / /.Berlin reports, admit that the German line was pierced at several points on the southern front after violent Russian attacks. /\.>;-11W;Moscow:'radip'Says-15 places were recaptured, in one day. on the southern/front. German counter-attacks in the south-west were repulsed, after which the Russians pushed on and recaptured eight more #s.ces. .'". .'■'■'. The Russians in one sector on the Ukraine front ceased fighting to celebrate Red Army Day. In another sector on the same front, however, cavalry have relieved four inhabited points during the last 24 hours " and ; wiped out a squadron of German cavalry. Counter-attacking a 'yUiage, on .the central front from which they were driven a few days •go, the Germans continually threw in new troops, but all the attacks were repulsed. The Germans left 400 dead at the approaches to the village..' ''.'',-,-

"Although there ii distinctly more activity than in December and January, winter still dominates the Rus•ian battiefront,'' says the Stockholm co-respondent of 'The .Times. T ''The fccreased activity Is partly due to the chanfed German tactics, which Berlin describes asg active' defence' after *» period.df passive defence.' There is no evidence to support the German claim that they have taken nearly 57,000 prisoners since the New Year, but whether this Is true or false the Hussions are ..more .aggressive than in January. This is most evident on the Lgunsnd^trjimt;,,wher? Ithe., garrison and fife.-.relieving[forces to the south-: west of Shlusselburg are now within hearing distance of each other's artillery. -. "The Russian hammering continues without abatement, and the fact that a Sissage had hot yet been battered rough, the investing forces ■ demonstrates . the. toughness of the German resistance in fulfilling the. high command's .orders that Leningrad should riot be relieved. The Russians are increasingly j using guerrillas and regular mobile raiding detachments to; create disorder in / the enemy'fr rear as part of preparations for an offensive, with a large force. These tactics are particularly evident on' the 'approaches to Smolensk and inside,White Russia, where some guerrillas are operating over a radius of 100 miles, arid in the Ukraine, where the raiders are chiefly well-equipped cavalry. The next few weeks should yield the Russians more tangible fruit as their careful preparations mature and some or all of the German posts .fall:"-- - ■ .y. •'*■ '"-.:

It is understood that the new Russian attack is on the Smolensk sector of the central front. The Moscow radio'stated: "The battle goes well, and we are driving the Germans to the We5t.".:...: %SJ -..•-" .:.■ '-■■if -■ • .-■ ■'-■■■■■ ■••-•--_-■ The Berlin radio admits serious fighting to the north-east of Lake Ilmen. " The Russians broke through one sector, but were surrounded and annihilated." . Strong Russian forces are now attacking in the Volkhov area. A supplement to last night's Soviet war communique, in which the capture of Dorogobuzh, half-way between Smolensk and Viazma, was announced, states that in the Kalinin sector of the front 14 localities have been retaken by Soviet troops during the last two days. A considerable quantity of war material was captured, and the enemy lost; over 500 officers arid men killed. Other local successes which are claimed in unspecified sectors of the front, together .with lists of enemy war material destroyed and captured, give the impression that, in spite of the growing German resistance, the Soviet forces are continuing their advance to the west. : A German military spokesman, in a broadcast, asserted that probably more Russian soldiers had been frozen to death than Germans because the Russians were less hardened that the Germans, especially the last German reinforcements. The Germans in the spring, he claimed, would continue "from Viazma and Kiev, where Nature forced them to leave off."