GLOOM DEEPENS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25431, 12 January 1944, Page 3

GLOOM DEEPENS

BERLIN SPOKESMEN GENERAL RETREAT LIKELY LONDON, Jan. 10. While confidence is rising in Moscow, gloom is deepening in Berlin, according to neutral correspondents. German official spokesmen are no longer able to conceal the magnitude of the German defeat on the Russian front. Emphasising the great superiority in man-power and material of the Red Army, one German spokesman told Swiss correspondents that the Germans must prepare for a general retreat.

The Berlin radio commentator, Captain Sertorius, declared that the character of the great battle on the South Russian front remains unchanged. “ Sometimes we have to abandon ground in order to save our forces and prevent them from being cut off,” he said. “The fighting east of Sarny and east of Rovno is at present, static. . Enemy pressure here has not increased during the past few days. This leads one to suppose that General Vatutin has transferred strong forces to the south. German units are still holding out in the western suburbs of Kirovograd. They could not, however, prevent General Koniev switching part of his forces in a southwesterly direction to threaten the German positions at Krivoi Rog. Fresh Russian attacks in the Ryechitsa area seem merely an attempt to pin down the German forces there."

The German News Agency commentator, General von Hammer, says that in the area west of Ryechitsa the Russians succeeded in making minor breaches. He adds: “ Extremely heavy fighting has developed in Voronovitsa, 15 miles south-east of Vinnitsa. The Russians here succeeded in advancing in a south-westerly direction.”