GERMAN' ARMIES ENCIRCLED

Timaru Herald, Volume CLIII, Issue 22469, 2 January 1943, Page 5

GERMAN' ARMIES ENCIRCLED

Striking Russian Successes

Heavy Losses in Men and Material

By Telegraph—New Zealand Press Association—Copyright (Received 7.30 p.m.) LONDON, December 31.

A SPECIAL Soviet communique issued to-night states: “In six weeks’ fighting Soviet troops have encircled and halted on the approaches to Stalingrad 36 enemy divisions, including six tank divisions, and have inflicted losses on another seven enemy divisions. Twenty-two enemy divisions are now encircled before Stalingrad. In this six weeks’ fighting 175,000 enemy officers and men were killed and 137,650 taken prisoner. Much booty was captured, and a great number of enemy weapons destroyed.

“By the middle of September German troops were stemmed by the Red Army before Stalingrad, and the German plan to capture Stalingrad and account for the strength of the Red Army failed. On the contrary Soviet troops, according to the plan of the Soviet High Command, encircled an enemy army group on the approaches to Stalingrad. This operation was carried out in three weeks, during the months of November and December.”

The communique continues:— "The second part of the main operations consists of an offensive in the Middle Don area. Having encircled the enemy troops before Stalingrad a new blow was struck in the area of the Middle Don where, according to plan, a break-through was achieved on the Novokalltva-Monastyrschlna sector. This penetrated the enemy's rear In the great Don Bend causing a retreat. Our troops advanced from 94 to 120 miles, liberated 124 localities and routed five German infantry divisions and one German tank division. Rumanian divisions were also routed, besides one brigade of Blackshirts. Further heavy losses were inflicted on another four enemy divisions during these engagements. Sixty-nine thousand enemy officers and men were killed, and 60.050 taken prisoner. Our troops captured much booty, including 368 planes, 178 tanks, 1927 guns, many lorries, mortars, machine-guns, automatic rifles and anti-tank rifles. In the same period 117 planes, 172 tanks, 268 guns and over 1000 machine-guns were destroyed. “The third part of the main operations consisted of operations south of Stalingrad. The enemy made an attempt to relieve its encircled force before Stalingrad, and having concentrated a large force north of Kotelnikovo, launched an offensive on December 12. Our troops south of Stalingrad, according to the plan of the Soviet High Command, routed this new force and drove it back, preventing the encircled army from being relieved. Our troops advanced from 63 to 95 miles and routed three German tank divisions, one German motorised division, two German infantry divisions and two Rumanian cavalry divisions. In these engagements 21,000 enemy troops were killed and 5200 taken prisoner. Our troops captured much booty, including 40 planes, 94 tanks, 292 guns and 329 lorries.”

Offensive Continues The Russian night communique states: “On December 30 Soviet troops southward of Stalingrad continued to develop the offensive and occupied the district centres of Remontnoye and Troitskaya, and a number of localities. "In the area of the Middle Don and on the central front our troops continued to conduct offensive operations. On the previous day 32 German transport planes were destroyed Remontnoye is about 30 miles southward fo Torgovaya, which was occupied the previous day by Soviet troops.” A supplementary communique records the capture In the factory area of Stalingrad of 24 pillboxes and the occupation of several blocks of buildings near the factory. It adds: “South-

ward of Stalingrad our troops, overcoming enemy resistance, occupied several localities. During the occupation of Kotelnlkovo two enemy infantry regiments were routed. In the area of Yashgu our troops routed an enemy motorised division. Twenty-eight German planes were shot down by our planes and anti-aircraft batteries.” A special Soviet communique received this evening states:—“On December 31 Soviet troops occupied the town and railway station of Obllvskaya and the district centres of Nizhnekirskaya and Preluetnaya, securing a large amount of booty, including a train loaded with planes. Preluetnaya is about 28 miles south-east of Elista. Nizhnekirskaya is on the Don 50 miles west of Stalingrad and Obllvskaya is 40 miles further west. The booty captured in these places is still being counted. “On the central front our troops are conducting further offensive operations.”

Thundering Rout

Correspondents dwell on the importance of the threat to the Germans of the Russian left wing, which Is npw the most mobile part of the offensive, and has already outflanked the Kotelnlkovo battlefield by an advance to the Ergenl Heights, 50 miles southward. The Russian capture of Torgovaya and adjacent places may seriously menace the enemy withdrawal from the Caucasus.

The Moscow correspondent of the “Daily Express” says:—“This thundering rout whereby the Russians are biting deeply southward exposes the flank of the German positions at Salysk, which is a key railway junction in the Kuban Valley, the threat to which menaces two lines along which von List’s army in the Caucasus can withdraw to Rostov, but if he loses Salysk he has only one line from Krasnodar.

The Russian capture of Yashgul, which was strongly defended by antitank batteries and a deep system of firing points, turns the whole of one of the best natural lines of defence which the Germans retain. Westward of Yashgul is an escarpment on which is situated Elista, where all roads from Kuban join. Northwards of Kotolnlkovo the Russians thrusting toward the Don are nearing Tsymlyanskaya, where there is an important river crossing. Heavy fighting continues at Tatsynskaya, Kamenskaya and Millerovo, where the Germans are using reinforcements which Berlin commentators assert were composed largely of fresh unblooded troops. Tills does not suggest security for defence, as the Germans thrown in to defend Kotelnlkovo were similarly raw."