Swift Russian Strokes

Timaru Herald, Volume CLIII, Issue 22473, 7 January 1943, Page 3

Swift Russian Strokes

German Hold on Caucasus Loosening Wounded Left in Pitiful Condition By Telegraph—New Zealand Press Association—Copyright (Received 7.30 p.m.) LONDON, January 5. ’THE EFFECT of the Russian victories on the three * important fronts as disclosed by to-night’s special Moscow communique is to greatly worsen the whole German positions in the North Caucasus, and to give the Russians fresh impetus on the Middle Don. The communique states: “Nalchik town and railway station were captured after a decisive attack yesterday. We captured the town and railway station at Prokhladnaya, the town of Kaiskoa (not Maisky) 10 miles south of Prokhladnaya, and the rail centre of Kotlerevsky, 30 miles north-west of Nalchik to-day. After fierce fighting the Russians occupied the town and railway station of Morozovskuya, and the district centre of Tsymlyanskaya, with trophies and prisoners. In the North Caucasus, between December 24 and January 4 we captured 150 tanks, 109 guns, 168 mortars, 5000 rifles, 59,000 anti-tank and anti-personnel mines, more than 500,000 cartridges, 253 lorries and 15 ammunition and supply dumps. “In the same period our troops in the North Caucasus destroyed 18 planes, 42 guns, 170 tanks, 322 machine-guns and 390 lorries containing war material.’’

The capture of Nalchik, Prokhladnaya and other Caucasian towns follows the Russian occupation last week of Elkhotovo, situated on the railway between Rokhladnaya and Vlaklkavkaz. The occupation of Tysmlyanskaya in the southern arm of the Don Bend fives the Russians a bridgehead 40 miles west of Kotelnikovo, strengthening their hold on the Don Steppes, and assisting the drive down the Stalingrad-Tikharetsk railway. which menaces both troops in the Caucasus and the German retreat at Rostov. These swift Russian strokes and the capture of towns which it was expected the Germans would desperately defend suggests that the Germans' hold on the Caucasus is loosening, and a withdrawal to a shorter line in the neighbourhood of Rostov and the Sea of Azov, which some London commentators have been envisioning. The capture of Morozovskaya probably resulted in the fall of Chernyskevsk'aya yesterday, which was one of the few remaining German hedgehogs on the Don Bend. Its capture left the enemy with Morozovskaya as the only considerable position on the ! Transeon railway.

costs scores of thousands of lives. The German High Command has evidently decided to cut losses and organise the defence of Rostov and Voroshilovgrad. The capture of Nalchik is strategically Important as it was the main German base for the renewal of the assault on Grozny.

The capture by the Russians of Nalchik, Prokhlaynaya, Marozovkaya, Tsymlynskaya, Maisky and the railway junction at Kortlerevsky, in the Caucasus, is announced in a special communique issued at Moscow to-night.

The number of Germans killed in the North Caucasus between December 24 and January 4 totalled 11,000. The Moscow correspondent of the British United Press reports that the Russians are throwing in more and more tanks in the advance toward Salysk. They recaptured several more places with considerable booty. The Germans appear to have been ousted from the whole of the left flank in this sector and have been pushed back beyond the borders of Malmuk, leaving the Russians entrenched in the northern sector of the Manish valley, from which they can launch simultaneous drives south Into the Caucasus and west toward Rostov.

The Germans, stubbornly trying to hold Morozovskaya. repeatedly counterattacked in the last 24 hours employing fresh troops from the Ukraine and many tanks, but after initial gains they were flung back, losing 49 tanks and leaving 1000 dead. Moscow correspondents emphasise the vigour with which 'the Russians are thrusting south from Stalingrad.

Germans Starving

The Soviet Army newspaper, "Red Star,’’ says that the Germans in this area are experiencing extreme difficulties, probably suffering more than in any other theatre. They are starving and are inadequately clothed against the fierce eastern winds blowing along the Kalmuk Steppe. Military observers in London. believe that at the present rate of progress two Red Armies may meet before the Axis troops in the Central Caucasus can escape to Rostov. One arm of the pincers in the move to encircle the German armies in the Caucasus is pushing north-west from Mozdok and the other is driving west across the Kalmuk Steppes, 150 miles to the north. It appears from a supplement to last night’s Soviet communique, which recorded continued Russian progress on all five fronts, that other enemy strongpoints in the Chemyshevskaya salient are now encircled and are being mopped up. Soviet units are continuing to press the ring around the encircled enemy garrisons. The communique adds that, aiming at the relief of one encircled garrison, the Germans launched repeated counter-attacks by large forces of infantry and tanks. They were repelled by the deadly fire of the Soviet troops and left more than 100 dead on the battlefield. Twenty-four German tanks were burnt out.

Powerful Tank Corps

The Moscow correspondent of “The Times" says that General Yeremenko ordered his armies fully to exploit their advantages toward the Stavropol Highlands and across the Salysk Steppes to Kurban. These pursuit battles are being fought with great resolution.

Reuters Moscow correspondent, emphasising the strength the Russians are employing, says that on the southern front there are the most Dowerful tank corps the Red Army has yet fielded, and flying cavalry columns are straining every nerve to pursue the Germans In sectors where they are making an effort to break contact. The Germans are thrusting on madly to escape the avenging Carrasks and swift motorised columns. Low-flying Stormoviks. preventing German fighter protection, have been another great asset in the offensive. The fleeing Germans are abandoning their wounded, 500 of whom were found in a single hospital at Kantimlrovka. German prisoners are often In a pitiful condition, with badly dressed hands and their feet frozen. They complained they had forgotten when they last washed. There is not enough water even for drinking.

At Stalingrad the ruins are clearly affording the enemy strong defensive bositlons, as they did for the Russians. The enemy is still fighting tenaciously in the outskirts of the city, but Is gradually being pushed back in the factory area. Soviet storm detachments wrecked enemy fortifications, infiltrated enemy positions, and blew them up, 200 Germans being killed and prisoners and booty captured. The capture of Chernyskovsky, on the Stalingrad-Don Basin railway, says a Moscow message, shows that the Red Army is concentrating its main efforts on the pocket now roughly 05 miles wide and 45 miles deep, with one comer 150 miles north-east of Rostov, on the Stalingrad-Don Basin railway, and the other corner 130 miles almost due east of Rostov, a few miles south of the Don. Part of the railway within this pocket is held by the Germans and part by the Russians, and it is not of great value as a transport line to either side. The Germans, however, are able to bring un troops and equipment to the pocket from Rostov. Voroshilovgrad and Salysk, while the Russians have no rail communication with a deep rear owing to the Stalingrad junction being blocked by the trapped but unvanquished 22 divisions.

German Silence Explained Russian successes on other fronts continue, notably south-westward of Velikiye Luki toward Neval. where, against powerful opposition, the Russians. clearing minefields and field fortifications, broke into strong positions and ejected the enemy. They are thus threatening the main lateral highway linking the northern German armies with those in the central and southern fronts. Neval is a German stronghold more important than Velikiye Luki, and will undoubtedly be defended desperately. The Germans are counter-attacking the advancing Russians continuously. One Russian unit beat off 15 successive thrusts and held captured territory.

German propagandists now explain that the German High Command’s silence regarding events is due to a desire not to disclose to the Russians the positions of their isolated units. Accordingly we are not denying Russian claims, especially as operations during the offensive have shown that the Soviet Command does not possess a uniform idea of the general situation. The military correspondent of the “Daily Express" says that the victories show the Germans arc retreating precipitously toward the Donetz, and are abandoning vast quantities of stores and territory, the conquest of which

In the Caucasus the Red Army has jammed enemy forces against the Caucasus foothills by a series of heavy blows. Intercepting the retreating columns the Red Army killed several thousand Germans In one sector alone.