FORGING AHEAD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25135, 28 January 1943, Page 5

FORGING AHEAD

ADVANCE FROM SALSK BELAYA GLINA CAPTURED (.Rec. 6.30 p.m.) RUGBY, Jan. 26. ■ Moscow reports say the Red Army continues its drive in the Voronezh area, capturing more territory and not permitting the enemy forces to break away. The advance is apparently westwards towards Kastornoye and Kursk and south-westwards towards Byelogorod and Kharkov. The fall of Belaya Glina, the capture of which was announced last night, represents a Russian advance of 50 miles from Salsk.

A Russian communique records the sinking of an enemy destroyer in the Barents Sea.

A special Soviet communique says: “ Our troops on the Don front are continuing their advance against the German forces surrounded in the Stalingrad Having overcome the powerful defences, they have practically accomplished the liquidation of the encircled enemy. Between January 10 and 26 40,000 of the enemy were killed and 28,000 were taken prisoner. Two encircled and small enemy groups totalling about 12,000 men have yet to be liquidated. One gr£mp is north of Stalingrad and the other is nearer the centre of the city. Both are doomed to destruction in from two to three days.”

The communique also announces that Soviet troops during the battles on January 17-26 captured 26 important fortified centres and seven railway stations. “ Our artillery, mortar, and sapper units destroyed 620 fortifications, and the artillery also destroyed 40 strongly fortified observation points. Two hundred and twenty enemy artillery and mortar batteries were destroyed. and 5220 square miles of territory were cleared of the enemy. Altogether since the beginning of the general attack against the encircled troops at Stalingrad our troops, between January 10-26, captured 60 strongly-fortified populated places and nine railway stations. “The following railways have been opened for transport: Stalingrad to Povorino, 140 miles south-east of Voronezh: Stalingrad to Tatsinskaya, and Stalingrad to Salsk. In addition, during the period of general attack, our troops captured 523 planes, 1297 tanks, 2978 guns of various calibre, 904 trench mortars, 4870 machine guns, 45,000 rifles, 49,000 lorries, 4660 motor cycles, and 160 dumps with equipment, arms, and other material. Much railway equipment was also captured.”