DAY BY DAY

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLXII, Issue 15243, 8 January 1943, Page 2

DAY BY DAY

A REVIEW OF THE WAR NEWS. The strength of M. Stalin’s strategic plan daily becomes more apparent. General Zhukov has outmanoeuvred the Germans by patiently accepting temporary losses in South Russia while maintaining the defences of JVJpscow and the Caucasus Withholding his reserves till the opportune moment, h e then struck on many sectors of tiip long front and after the initial successes is slashing the enemy flanks and rear. The Russians, now in possession of all the eastern areas of the Don bend at fanning out and making for the dense network of railways in the Donetz basin. With Stalingrad clear ed of the enemy aaid the remaining Nazi positions in the Caucasus in jeopardy, the Red Armies have gained the initiative to such an extent that the disorganised German forces are incapable of reorganisation t> stabilise the front in the near future. Stalin will not relax to allow that reorganisation and the Russian advance according to today’s cables is still uniialted. A further setback to the Allied First Army in Tunisia is reported The heights gained west of Mateur have been lost to a German counterattack. Grave dissatisfaction regarding the prosecution of the Allied campaign in North Africa, is expressed in British papers. The Australian, papers repeat the demand that Mr Curtflii should immediately visit Washington to confer with Mr Roosevelt upon, matters concerning a more realistic war policy being adopted in the Pacific. One observer advances the opinion that Mr Curtin’s complaint, that the Japanese war had been relegated to the background in Allied strategy, was an echo of General Mac Arthur s views. Little news comes from South Pacific waters where Allied planes continue to take toll of the enemy s shipping. Tli© last strongholds of the -Japanese in Sanaaianda are being blasted in readiness for the lain! at>tack.