The Pahiatua Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING TUESDAY, JANUARY 5, 1943. DRAW YOUR BLINDS—7.30 p.m. THE RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLXII, Issue 15240, 5 January 1943, Page 2

The Pahiatua Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING TUESDAY, JANUARY 5, 1943. DRAW YOUR BLINDS—7.3O p.m. THE RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE.

I Jhe mighty onslaught of the Soviet armies, shows no sign of slackening and the latest news indicates that the gain* have been very considerable. South of Stalingi ad, the six or . seven divisions sent in to relieve the heavy pressure between the Don ainl the \ olga have been so hammered j by the Russian* that they are hewing speedily withdrawn in view of th 0 threat developing towards Rostov. In Stalingrad itself German opposition consists only ol guerrilla ■sorties and the Russians' moppJngup operations have taken heavy toll of the beleaguered troops. in all •sections of tile long front, the tactics of the Soviet forces are now bearing iru.it and the Axis Command finds it most diificult to keep open its lines oi communication while the fast-mov-ing forces of the Red Army with lightmug thrusts have surprised many enemy bases and have taken a> tremendous amount of booty, sufficient it has been said, to supply several divisions, ip ordinary times, the reported achievements would be regarded as magnificent, and yet it is doubly so when it is realised that .the offensives ar© undertaken in winter. The news to hand illustrates the amazing resources of the Soviet and the unbroken determination of the peoples oi a great country which lias recovered after heavy and harassing blows over a period of two long years. The situation at the moment is one of apparent complexity though if the details of tiie operations wore provided the explanation might prove comparatively simple. The Russians, probing along the front, discovered that t Lie Germans were holding positions midway between Voronezh and Stalingrad rather thinly and probably because no great danger was threatening on that front, the Axis forces would be mainly Rumanians, Hungarians and perhaps Italians. Tne sudden offensive gave the Russians most surprising results for the Axis forces melted away on a front oi nearly sixty mdes. The enemy’s troops retreated some 100 miles and after being reinforced, found tha* the Soviet armies pivoting on Stalingrad had struck -at four' otiiei poiuts to swing south until they are almost on the Donetz. This turning movement, of course, exposed their right flank to attack but this way guarded against by a stll further vigorous offensive west of Moscow. Possible reserves for a counter-attack were here held and the advance on the Don sector continues. Th© campaign now being conducted on Germany's eastern front may yet see the collapse of Hitler's armies.