NAZIS OUSTED FROM VORONEZH

Timaru Herald, Volume CLIII, Issue 22490, 27 January 1943, Page 5

NAZIS OUSTED FROM VORONEZH

Whole Line Bending Under Blows Stalin Congratulates Red Army Gains On All Fronts British Official Wireless RUGBY, January 25. A special Soviet communique states that the town of Voronezh has been completely cleared of the enemy. The number of prisoners taken has been increased by 11,000, and the total number of prisoners taken in this area is now 75,000. The Germans to-day admitted that their troops were being withdrawn from the Voronezh salient. On the lower part of the front west of Voronezh the Russians have captured Starobyelsk, 50 miles north-west of Voroshilovgrad, after fierce street fighting. South of Voronezh also Moscow reports successes. The Russians are moving west across the German communication lines, and also mopping up isolated enemy garrisons left in their rear. Yesterday 1100 more prisoners were taken. The German High Command, in a communique, stated: “To shorten the front we, without enemy pressure, evacuated the Voronezh bridge according to plan.”

'Tlie German High Command plans to shorten the whole Russian front and build up a new defence line. This admission, which will be cold comfort to the Germans, already alarmed after the declarations that the military situation is critical, was made to-night by the German News Agency’s military commentator. He added that the winter battle is daily increasing in fury. No other Power in the world could have faced the Russians in the onslaught during the last two months as the Germans have done. The Russians are far superior in manpower and material compared to the Germans, yet they had to conquer the territory step by step.

Bending Under Blows While German propagandists are thus preparing the Germans for more retreats the Moscow correspondents say that the whole left wing of the German southern armies is bending under the blows of the Red Army. General Golikov’s drive west and northwest of Voronezh is threatening Hitler’s bases at Kursk and Kharkov and the Russians are within sight of cutting the vital Voronezh-Kursk railway. Six hundred miles to the south the Russians are within 20 miles of Kavakaskaya, an important railway junction between Armavir and Tikhoretsk. As the Germans more strongly oppose the Russian drive against Rostov from the Caucasus and from Salsk they are using more armour, which they have hitherto conserved. From front-line dispatches there are reports of a heavy battle on the lower Don in which the Germans lost 78 tanks in persistent, useless counter-attacks. Cossack squadrons, driving on Kropotkin, advanced 25 miles, outflanked the retreating enemy and cut the rear communications between Rostov and the Black Sea. The Red Air Force is taking a prominent part in the fighting. It finds many targets in Junkers transports, which are always active. During the retreat 10 were shot down in one swoop. The Russians in the north are very active, widening the already substantial bridgehead at Leningrad and forcing the Germans back on the Volkhov area. Gains in the Caucasus South of the Don the Russians are pressing on across the Kuban Plain and up towards Rostov. North of the Don they are hammering their way into the Ukraine. Before Stalingrad they are tightening the noose round the trapped German divisions. On the Leningrad front they are keeping up their attacks south of Lake Ladoga. In the North Caucasus, according to to-day’s Soviet communique, the Russians have captured dozens more places. At some points they have advanced more than 25 miles. From Armavir they have progressed half-way to the next important railway junction of Krapotskin. The Russian forces moving down from Salsk have advanced to within 50 miles of Tikhoretsk. On the lower Don and east of Rostov German counter-attacks have been repelled. North of Rostov the Russians are keeping up their pressure, and several more places have been captured after hard fighting. One town changed hands several times. The Moscow radio says that on the south-west front the Soviet advance is going on and the German losses are particularly high in sectors where they are counter-attacking. Giving details of the occupation of Starobielsk, the capture of which was announced yesterday, the report says that very fierce fighting took place in the eastern part of the town. The Germans had transformed this part of the town into a strongly-fortified centre of resistance. Fierce street fighting took place. Our men dislodged the enemy from one house after another and from one district after another. The report praises the collaboration of the Soviet artillery and infantry. The artillery batteries of one Soviet unit in 10 days’ fighting, accounted for 2500 Germans and destroyed 40 tanks, four armoured cars, 18 lorries, and two planes.

The Moscow radio broadcast a report from a correspondent in the area south-west of Velikiye Luki, who said that the Soviet troops are wearing down the enemy forces. There is great activity by Soviet tanks which are smashing gaps in the enemy’s defence line. Russian Armies Congratulated M. Stalin, as Supreme Commander of the Red Army has issued an Order of the Day conveying congratulations to the troops on the south-western, Southern Don, North Caucasus. Voronezh, Kalinin, Volkhov and Leningrad fronts. “After two months of offensive operations the Red Army has broken through the German defences on a wide front, routed 102 enemy divisions, taken prisoner more than 200,000, advanced 250 miles and also captured 13,000 guns and much other war material. Our troops have achieved an important victory and the offensive continues. I congratulate the men, commanders and political instructors on all fronts on their victory over the German Fascist invaders and I,heir Hungarian. Rumanian and Italian allies before Stalingrad, on the Don, in the North Caucasus, before Voronezh, in the area of Velikiye Luki and south of Lake Ladoga. “I thank the commanders and the gallant troops who routed the Hitlerite armies at the approaches to Stalingrad, raised the siege of Leningrad, liberated from the invaders the towns of Kantemirovka, Belovod.sk, Morozovsky. Millerovo. Starobyelsk, Kotelnikovo, Simovhikl, Elista. Suty.sk, Mozdok, Nalchik, Mineralnylvoel. Pyatigorsk, Stavropol, Armavir, Valuiki, HukuHi. Ostrogojsk. Velikiye Luki, Schlussel burg, Voir»»»«£L laiany other towns and 1000 inhabited localities in (heir forward dash to rout the German invaders and expel them from Hie Motherland.” The lah’.' l. Russian successes on I he

Voronezh front endanger the vital line from Kupyansk Junction to Rostov, says the Moscow correspondent of the British United Press. The Russians captured the district centre of Lozoaleyandrovka, lying midway between Valuiki and Starobyelsk, only six miles from the railway and a little more than 20 miles from Kupyansk, which is the last big junction town before Kharkov is reached.

According to the Vichy radio snowstorms are raging south of Voronezh, where bitter fighting is in progress. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says that considerable strategical significance attaches to the Russian mastery over the Voronezh area and the east bank of the Don. Voronezh was the keypoint through which the Germans hoped last summer to take Moscow from the distant rear. The heroic garrison has now forced the Germans to turn south. With the vital base of Voronezh entirely - cleared of the enemy, the Soviet Command is free to develop a full scale offensive toward Kursk. Savage Street Battles “Pravda” disclosed that the Germans were driven from Voronezh after savage street battles in heavy snowstorms. Although the Germans just realised that their retreat was cut off they fought on fiercely. Every street had to be taken by a separate outflanking manoeuvre. A heavy dark red sky now hangs over Voronezh. The streets and squares are empty. Heaps of German bodies are piled on the ground. Gestapo Beastliness Thousands of Caucasian horsemen bred in the tradition of the vendetta are pursuing the Germans, says the Moscow correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph.” They have plenty to avenge, following Gestapo terrorism. Himmler’s minions did their utmost to obliterate all evidence of their crimes in Stavropol and drenched their headquarters with petrol, setting fire to the buildings. The Russians blanketed the flames and found evidence of German beastliness in the neatly stacked piles of clothing of boys and girls aged 12 to 14 executed as a reprisal because their fathers were guerrillas. Other heaps consisted of Cossack cloaks which women identified as belonging to sons, fathers and husbands. The Gestapo cellars contained inscriptions, often written in tlie blood of Russians about to die alter torture. Typical were: “During the occupation of Stavropol 15,000 to 20.000 persons were annihilated. Avenge.” Another nail-scratched inscription read: "Peter Boganoff was shot on January 18. Tell wife and children.” The localities captured by the Russians include the district centre and railway station of Byclayaglina, 35 miles north-east of Tikhoretsk and Kubanskoye, 33 miles south-east of Kavaskaya. Tlie Russian Arctic troops are reported to have broken through the German lines on the Petsaino front, says lhe Stockholm correspondent of the "Daily Mall." The Germans daim that the breach has already hern