STILL MAKING PROGRESS

Timaru Herald, Volume CLI, Issue 22185, 31 January 1942, Page 5

STILL MAKING PROGRESS

Russians Nearing The Dneiper Four Hundred Centres Set Free British Official Wirelcsa (11 p.m.) RUGBY, Jan. 30. News of the latest drive south of Kharkov towards the Dnieper is given in the following special announcement by the Soviet High Command. “On January 18 our troops on the south-western and southern fronts started attacks and after fierce fighting broke enemy fortified positions and started to advance. During the period January 18 to 27 our troops advanced more than 100 kilometres and occupied the towns of Barvenkovo and Lozovaya and freed more than 400 places. “Our troops captured the following booty—6sB guns, 40 tanks and armoured cars, 843 machine-guns. 331 trench mortars, 6013 lorries, 513 motor-cycles, 1095 bicycles, about 100.000 mines, 80,000 shells, about 1,000,000 rounds of ammunition, 23,000 hand grenades. waggons of ammunition, eight railway trains with war supplies and other material. “Our troops destroyed 28 tanks, 36 guns, 47 trench mortars, seven machine-guns, 33 railway waggons, 1071 lorries and 25 aeroplanes. Our tresps completely annihilated three divisions, one anti-tank regiment, one infantry regiment and a Hungarian cavalry regiment. They occupied the headquarters of infantry divisions and captured important documents and the banners or two infantry regiments. “Our troops inflicted a heavy defeat on two other infantry divisions and parts of three more. The Germans lost more

than 25,000 killed and several hundred taken prisoner." German reserves rushed up by air from Denmark, France and Norway to the SmolenskLeningrad section have already suffered serious losses.

Part Played by Artillery The Kuibyshev radio announced that the Russians are now advancing south from Zapadnayadvlna and Toropa; a<nd the northern flank of the German troops holding Smolensk is directly threatened. Westward of the Valdai Hills the Russians continue to advance. The Germans are reported to be building a defence line along the 1939 Russian-Polish border, another along the old Russian-Polish frontier, and a third along the river Oder. It is revealed that artillery, in close co-operation with the attacking infantry, played a dominant role in the Russian successes on both north-west-ern Moscow fronts. The Russians use artillery boldly. Disregarding the oldtime technique of using guns from established positions, they move their artillery up with the advancing infantry, the ; the striking power of the attacking force is greatly intensified. These are the tactics which helped to bring the Germans success - ’hen they are on the offensive, but which, now they are on the defensive, they have been forced to abandon. Supply of Tanks The “Star” in a leading article says that General Gororov, who, as commander in the Mojaisk sector, is well qualified to speak, says: “Soviet tame factories continue to turn out many tanks, but the issue partly depends on fulfilment of obligations entered into by our Allies regarding the supply of tanks.” The “Star” adds: “That is a clear call that must be met at all costs. No bad news from the Far East, no urgent calls for reinforcements for our own endangered outposts, can for a moment stand in the way of General Gororov s call. If enough weight can be brought to bear now at a few decisive points north and south of Smolensk the Germans may yet be overtaken by catastrophe.”