A SURPRISE BLOW

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLXII, Issue 15240, 5 January 1943, Page 3

A SURPRISE BLOW

THE FALL OF MOSDOK RUSSIANS GTVE NAZIS NO REST AMAZING STRENGTH OF RED ARTILLERY. United Press Assn.— By Electric ■ Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, January 4. A special Russian communique is- | sued tonight states that Soviet I troops" struck a surprise blow and aptured Mosdok, in the Caucasus, north-west of Grosny, and also Malge.hek, ah nut 15 miles south of Mosdok. Military correspondents in London regard the capture of Mosdok as | confirmation of the Russian exploitation of the initiative. The fact that the Germans were driven out so easily from Kliotovo and Mosdok £ l *g&osts that there is a general German drift westward which Russian pressure is accelerating. The Russians are still giving the Germans no rest in any sector on the far Hung front. The battle for Khotovo again illustrated the strength of the Russian artillery which is a notable factor in the successful advances. Tlio Germans were in strong positions on the bank of the Terek River and the southern outskirts of Khotovo. The Russians bringing up guns over almost impassable roads put many enemy firing points out of action after a two-hour bombardment, after which the Russian infantry infiltrated into t>he streets, and routed the. Germans. The Times' Moscow correspondent describes the plight of the Germans aiound Stalingrad whose encirclement, which was planned by Stalin, is gradually tightening. Russian snipers often observe Germans ci aw ling in no map's land to cut meat from dead horses. Prisoners state that tlieir food was only a few ounces of horse soup and a little bread daily. Letters recovered from shot-down German transport pianos reveal a growing despair. There is evidence that the Germans are reorganising the encircled units and the suggested flight of officers, including General von Gale lit, is due to the merging of depleted or non-existent divisions. A plane carrying 23 of von Galen.t's staff was shot down.