SIX HUNDRED MILE FRONT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25134, 27 January 1943, Page 3

SIX HUNDRED MILE FRONT

GROWING CONCERN IN GERMANY (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) (Rec. 1 a.m.) LONDON, Jan. 26. ~ In South Russia the Axis forces are still rolling back along the whole of the 600-mile front from Voronezh to the Kuban plains. Further to the east, in the Stalingrad area, the Russians continue to increase their grip on the trapped German Army, while to the north, in the Lake Ladoga sector of the Leningrad front, they are maintaining their pressure on the German forces. To-day’s Moscow communique reports that in the North Caucasus the Soviet forces occupied several more places and captured a large quantity of booty. The troops pushing up the main line to Rostov have linked up with the forces advancing from Salsk. Further north the Russians repulsed three strong attacks in the Manich area. ' In the Voronezh sector big developments are reported. Following the announcement yesterday that the last remaining Germans had been driven out of Voronezh and the area to the west of the Don cleared of enemy forces, the Soviet troops continued their offensive to-day, encircling a large German force that refused to surrender. Russian troops are now pouring to the west towards Kursk. The announcement of a further extension of the Russian offensive, coupled with official Berlin reports of the shortening of the front, is Interpreted in London as indicating that a serious situation has arisen at the junction of the German central and southern armies in the Voronezh area. Dr Goebbels has brought his entire propaganda orchestra into play. The Daily Mail’s correspondent on the German frontier says' that all the German newspapers are calling on the people on the home front to keep cool and stand firm, and not to let the fighting men down. The fact that this is now definite policy is confirmed by a Berlin radio announcement that Goebbels recalled all war reporters from the fronts and Instructed them to work in the future as intermediaries between the fighting line and the home front. A communique issued by the German High Command states that “to shorten the front we, without enemy pressure, evacuated the Voronezh bridgehead according to plan.” The High Command also stated that it plans to shorten the whole Russian front and build up a new defence line. This admission, which will be cold comfort to the Germans already alarmed after declarations that the military situation is critical, was made to-night by the German News Agency’s military commentator. He added that the winter battle was daily increasing in fury. No Power in the world could have faced the Russians’ two months’ onslaught as the Germans had done. The Russians were far superior in man-power and material compared with the Germans, yet they had had to conquer the territory step oy step. While German propagandists are thus preparing the Germans for more retreats, Moscow correspondents say the whole German left wing of the southern armies is bending under the blows of the Red Army.