Vigorous New Blows

Timaru Herald, Volume CLIII, Issue 22477, 12 January 1943, Page 3

Vigorous New Blows

German Supply Corridor Narrowed

Russians Thrusting Toward

Rostov

By Telegraph—New Zealand Press Association—Copyright (Received 10.45 p.m.) LONDON, January 11.

D OSSIAN TROOPS are now storming the powerful ** German fortifications at the junction of the Don and Donetz rivers, 60 miles north-east of Rostov. These vigorous new blows were announced by the Moscow radio, which added that the Russians had bypassed Konstantinovsk, the German-held stronghold 10 miles east of the river barrier.

The Moscow correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph’’ says that this is the most important Russian thrust toward Rostov because it narrows the corridor through which the Germans are supplying their southern armies, but the Russians are even nearer Rostov. They are advancing toward Ruadorskaya, and somewhere in this area are reported to be within 40 miles of Rostov.

Emphasising the power with which the Russians are exploiting the initiative on the southern front, the Moscow correspondent of “The Times” says the Germans are fighting tenaciously, but the pace of the Russian drive, led by great tank forces, appears to be increasing. The Russians northward of the Don have advanced to the Donetz on a 40-mile front. The Russians at some points are only 10 miles from the water-line, where the Germans are expected stubbornly to resist, but this cannot effectively shield Rostov, which is now gravely threatened after the Russian advance southward from the Don.

As hope of relief fades, the Germans entrapped before Stalingrad are encountering heavier Russian attacks than for weeks. General Zhukov is attacking from the east with artillery and storm troops, but the taking of every house is a separate operation. A pile of ruins from which guns can be operated is tougher to take than the best built concrete emplacements. Guns are blazing incessantly from the Donside hills from the north-west, where the Russians have seized the fringe of the encircled portion, which is about 300 square miles

m area.

Other dispatches state that typhus has attacked the Germans entrapped in Stalingrad. Soldiers’ letters taken from transport planes which were shot down reveal terrible conditions. The letters include such phrases as “We live like wild beasts. We are terribly tortured by lice. After six weeks of this terrible situation we have become hunger experts.” The German News Agency partially broke a week’s silence regarding the Russian victories by admitting the withdrawal of some German advanced bases east of the Caucasus. The agency claimed that the moves were made without the knowledge of the Russians in order to shorten the line. Moscow says the Germans did not sink a single well or get a drop of oil from the Malgobek well in the Caucasus during their three months’ occupation. The Russian authorities have already started to restore the oilfields liberated from the Germans.

A Russian communique reports the capture of Geogievskaya, which is four miles from the Georgievsk-Kuma railway, a station about 25 miles northeast of Georgievsk, Obilntye on the railway 10 miles north-east of Georgievsk, Nezlognaya, where the line from Prikumsk joins the RostovBaku railway, Lysogorskaya, on the main line about seven miles north-west of Nezlognaya and Alexandadrovskoi. Warships in the Barents Sea sank a 12,000-ton enemy transport. The Russians are advancing as rapidly as ever towards Rostov and they are also making good progress in the Caucasus. On the Lower Don the Russians have pushed forward another eight miles after smashing the biggest German counter-attack yet launched in this area. The enemy threw in 100 tanks and an infantry division and after an all-day battle the Russians put them to flight, broke through their main defences and recaptured a number of places. Further south another column ha.s advanced 40 miles and is only 30 miles from Salsk. Stubborn Fighting The German troops who are hemmed in near Stalingrad are fighting stubbornly to hold off the Red Army’s daily attacks. A Soviet military expert, discussing the enemy’s position there, said that all the lines linking the main German forces with the rear had been cut once and for all. but the Germans were still strong and well provided with ammunition, and they were behind fortifications. The enemy was suffering heavy lasses day after day. In the Caucasus the Russians are threatening the railway town of Georgievsk. Red Army forces are moving up the line from Mozdok and down a branch line from the north, where they have thrown the Germans from powerfully-built positions in one village. On the central front a big battle, which began two days ago, is still m lull swing. This is probably south-east of Velikiye Luki, where the Germans have been sending in large tank forces to try to recapture lost ground. There is also fierce fighting west of Rzhe/. Central Front Boils Up The central front in Russia has boiled up again. A Russian dispatch disclases that a two-day battle in an unnamed sector raged furiously, the Germans flinging in massed thanks and infantry in an effort to recover lost ground. The dispatch also reports that the Germans have already lost 900 prisoners, 17 tanks, 20 guns and 16 strong points. One panzer column after severe losses turned tail. The Germans, as in Libya, are sacrificing vast numbers of troops. One instance of this occurred on the Don front, where the Russians, carrying out their usual tactics of envelopment, reached the rear of an Italian garrison and saw the Germans firing on the Italians, who were trying to escape The terrorism which the inhabitants of Mozdok endured during the four months of the German occupation is described by survivors. Of 300 soldiers imprisoned in a house only 70 emerged. They resembled living skeletons. One who died after his release had 14 untended wounds. The Germans ruthlessly plundered the city. which, ono famous for its cleanliness, is now lettered with debris. Relentless Thrusts After a successful offensive of 53 days the Red Annies increasingly threaten Salysk and Rostov, which are mast important keypoints if the Germans are to extricate their forces from the Kuban Steppes. These forces a.e estimated to number 300,000. The Germans are hurling in numerous reinforcements in counter-attacks, but a.e unable to stem the relentless thrusts by the Russians. A Moscow correspondent says 'hat the Russian advance northward ind southward from the Don is now averaging 15 mile-, a day in : pile of resistance by 30 German divisions. The Russian:; overcoming numerous strong German defences with much artillery and many anti-infantry obstacles reached Ustkagalnetsky, on the Voronezh-Rostov railway. The Red Armies are progressing more swiftly southward, where, after

the occupation of Simovniki on Friday, they smashed on another 35 miles.

Twenty-flve German divisions are battling in the North Caucasus and in the neighbourhood of Novorossisk, but the Russians, driving on, captured 32 towns and villages. They have already closed the gap between the armies advancing from Kalmukia and in the Northern Caucasus to 30 miles. The Russians are also threatening Salysk from Martynovka, 50 miles to the north, and from Veselyi, 32 miles north-west. This thrust enhances the importance to the Germans of Tikhoretsk as a line of withdrawal from the Caucasus.

Significant Operations

The Russian forces advancing on both sides of the lower Don are steadily clearing the remaining southern part of the Don Bend east of the lower Donetz, and are consolidating their hold on the southern railway, halfway between Stalingrad and Rostov. The significance of these operations, which have been proceeding during the last week or two, is that there is now a solid belt of about 120 miles between the great German Army still desperately holding on at Stalingrad and any prospect of relief. Meanwhile in the Caucasus and Russians’ westward advance toward Pratigorsk and Georgievsk is unchecked. The latter town seems to be in Immediate danger. The Russians are 120 miles from Tikhoretsk. The Moscow correspondent of the British United Press says that the German defence triangle, Georgievsk- Pyatigorsk- Mlneralnevodi, on the Mozdok'-Rostov railway, is in danger of collapse owing to the Russian drives, which have reached Kolskoe, Etoka and Alexandrovskoi. Zolskoe is 16 miles from Pyatigorsk. Etoka is five miles from the junction of the railway to Prikumsk. Alexandrovskoi was strenuously defended by the Germans who abandoned it after blows on their flanks. Having reached Reselyi the Russians are 32 miles from Salysk. Other forces, fanning out from Simovniki, are advancing north-west toward the south bank of the Sal, apparently with the object of linking up General Rokossov's forces, which are standing on the north bank of the Sal after sweeping across the Don at Tsymylanskaya.

After smashing the biggest German counter-attack so far on the lower Don the Russians advanced another eight miles and reached Trofimov, 10 miles from the Donetz. midway between the Don River and the Stalingrad western railway. A Russian column, advancing along the right bank of the Don beyond Ikolayevskata, captured Bogayavlenskaya, 19 miles from the confluence of the Don and Donetz. Reuter’s correspondent at Moscow declares that the Red Armies in south Russia have beaten the Germans al. "blitz” warfare. Russian mechanised forces played the chief part throughout the offensives on the Don. and the Caucasus. They belong to new armies trained since the outbreak of the war. They have proved that tanks can be employed most successfully in winter.