Impending Catastrophe

Timaru Herald, Volume CLIII, Issue 22474, 8 January 1943, Page 5

Impending Catastrophe

German Position in Russia

Supreme Command Out-

manoeuvred

By Telegraph—New Zealand Press Association—Copyright (Received 8 p.m.) LONDON, January 6.

THE FUNDAMENTAL strength of M. Stalin’s strategic plan becomes apparent as the outline of the impending catastrophe for the Germans sharpens. General Zhukov outmanoeuvred the German Supreme Command by patiently accepting temporary misfortunes in South Russia, and maintaining the defences of Moscow and what lies beyond the capital. He withheld reserves until they could be most effectively used, then, when the edge of the enemy’s attack was blunted, they struck with the greatest available strength.

Many more localities have fallen to the Russians in the last 12 hours. In the Central Caucasus German attempts to stem the Russian forces in the south-westward advance along the Tikhoretsk railway, where their reserves are in action, met only misfortune. In advances southwards which brought the Russians to Manich Valley, they several times pierced the lines on which the Germans elected to stand.

Reports from the Caucasus show that what is happening is not a voluntary withdrawal. The result is a worsening of the tactical situation. Generalship and the strength of the force resulted in the capture of Nalchik. The force skirted the Caucasian foothills, crossed rugged country torn by frequent ravines, until the minefields in front of the town were reached. Tanks and artillery came in fast after the fall of Elkhotovo and, joining the infantry, overcame the town’s inner defences, the garrison being driven from the town during the night.

The Russians, following up their sweeping successes in the Caucasus, with the Cossacks playing an important part, are slashing the enemy's flanks and rearguard, while further north the Red Army is in possession of all the easterh areas of the Don bend and is now fanning out further westwards, making for the dense network of railways in the Donetz Basin. The Moscow correspondent of the Associated Press states that the German Army is reported to be in full retreat from the North Caucasus, blowing up bridges and mining the roads in an effort to check the Red Army which, pressing swiftly closely on its heels, has liberated the entire province of North Ossetia. Reuter's Moscow correspondent reports that the Russian offensive in the Mozdok-Prokhladnaya area is gaining in tempo. The Russians firmly hold the lower end of the Nalchik Valley and are chasing the Germans down its length. The Germans have brought up considerable reinforcements south-west of Kotelnikovb, offering the strongest resistance along the railway to Salysk. The Russians in the last 48 hours have beaten off strong counter-attacks. Stubborn Resistance The Moscow radio emphasised the stiffening of the German resistance in Southern Russia, especially along the Stalingrad-Krasnodar railway. It also mentioned enemy counter-attacks south-east of Kotelnikovo, where the Germans brought up reinforcements of tanks and infantry. The announcer added that the Russians were pressing Hard, but the German resistance was stubborn. A previous report said that the rapid Russian advance from Mozdok along the railway has forced the Germans right out of the Terek Valley, and their positions in the Caucasus foothills beyond it. This means that the Germans are now about 100 miles from the Grozny oilfields. The whole position in the North Caucasus is threatened by the Russian advance down the railway from Kotelnikovo toward Salsk and Tikhoretsk. Regar 1ing the communications of the German Army in the North Caucasus, it is pointed out that though the Sea of Azov freezes over, the channel through the Kerch Straits is kept free of ,ce by the ■’outhward-flowing current of the Don. The Moscow radio broadcast a statement by the Commissar for Armaments iM. Jutionv), who said that the production of armaments in 1942 had increased several times over that of 1941 and there would be a further increase in 1943. Booty Captured Tl>e Moscow radio broadcast this evening a special communique dealing . with booty captured by the Soviet troops and the losses inflicted on the enemy south-west and south of Stalingrad between last Friday and Tuesday. In this period the enemy lost more than 20.000 officers and men killed and the Russians captured 6500 prisoners. The total number of prisoners captured since. November 19 is 144.150. Tn the same’period (Friday to Tuesday) Soviet troops south-west and south of Stalingrad captured the following booty: 27 aircraft. 56 tanks. 420 machine guns, 269 mortars, 1016 anti-tank rifles. 10,000 automatic rifles, 15,770 rifles, more than 3,000,000 shells over 20,000,000 rounds of ammunition, over 50,000 bombs, 82 wireless transmitters, 239 lorries laden with food and ammunition. 3217 horses, 4400 carts, 18 roUway engines. 400 railway waggons and 37 stores of various commodities. During the same period Soviet troops destroyed 88 aircraft, 118 tanks. 122 guns, 291 mortars, 787 machineguns. 500 lorries with troops and supplies, 432 railway waggons and 20 stores of different commodities, The Germans are still yielding ground north, south-east and east of Rostov, and they face yet another menace, this time in the Western Caucasus. south of Rostov. Paris radio stated that fighting has flared up along the coast between Tuapse and Novorossi.sk, where the Red Army has held the Germans for a month. Moscow radio said that two Soviet torpedo boats, after launching torpedoes at German-occupied Black Sea ports, causing violent explosions, mgaged four German patrol vessels, sinking two. The Moscow correspondent of "The Times" describing the capture of Mozdok, says: 'Don Cossack Guards, forming a flying column, supported bytanks, outflanked the enemy and, taking up positions north-east of the city, held a threat over the garrison while the main Russian forces advanced along the ancient military highway on the left bank of the Terek River. The Germans made vigorous sorties against mobile forces, using tanks, planes and many guns, but the Cossacks, dismounting, fought as well as any infantryman, and reaching the main defence lines, ejected the defenders. They then remounted and pursued the enemy, cutting them down with their broad curved sabres. Meanwhile the main Russian forces, strongly

supported by artillery and mortars, engaged Mozdok’s eastern defences. The city's final envelopment surprised the Germans, who apparently miscalculated the effect of the long battle preceding the capture.” The Russians in this sector are advancing on a broad front. They took Prokhladnaya, from where the general direction of the further advance was westward. Tanks and lorry-borne infantry fought sharp battles as they progressed. The fall of Tsymlyanskaya and Morosovskaya almost straightens the Russian lines from near Millerovo to the Salysk Steppes creating a 200mile front facing Rostov. Violent Battle Tsymlyanskaya was taken after a violent two-day battle. Tanks and infantry advanced after a heavy artillery barrage and mobile columns closed the garrison’s way of escape. In the resultant confusion Tommygunners launched a frontal attack, while tanks converged from all sides. Many officers and men panicked and abandoned their arms as the Russians closed in. . The advance continues in this sector and along the railway. The Russian capture of a height at Mammiev Kurgan, named after the Tartar chieftain, has worsened the position of von Hoth's trapped army in front of Stalingrad. The height commands river crossings and much surrounding country. Reconnaissances established that the forts protecting the hill could he pierced only by guns of an unavailable calibre. For that reason it was decided to storm the hill by surprise and take it at the bayonet point. Trenches were dug in positions and then the enemy’s attention was diverted by feint attacks. Thus three Russian detachments were able to secure the lodgment of the German trenches after hand-to-hand fighting. A second wave of Russians was unable to reach their comrades, but a third succeeded and held the positions against six desperate counter-attacks in which 400 Germans were killed.. The Russians the following night reached the top of the hill from which Russian guns are now blasting the last German position from a close range. Meeting Reported The Stockholm correspondent if the "Dally Express” says that insubordination and mutiny are reported to have broken out among Hitler’s satellite troops retreating in the Caucasus. Rumanians, Hungarians and Slovaks are stated to have laid down their arms or shot their officers, resulting in summary executions. The revolt is ascribed to poor treatment compared with German soldiers, bad weather and reports that the Caucasian army has been cut off.