EVER ONWARD

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 61, 13 March 1942, Page 5

EVER ONWARD

RUSSIAN ADVANCE ALONG EASTERN FRONT GERMANS GIVEN NO CHANCES Rugby, March 11. For over three months the Russians have been steadily advancing from one end of the cnoi'mous front to the other, giving the Germans no chance anywhere to regain the ground thus recovered, writes a military .xpert. They art still keeping the German army on the move south of Leningrad, round Lake Ilmen, round the Smolensk-Vyazma bulge, and on the broad front in the Ukraine. Several phases of this remarkable achievement are now discernible. By the end of November the Germans wers dangerously threatening vital centres. Tne first tasks were to nip off the German thrust to Rostov, both jaws of the pincers movement around Moscow, and the movement to Tikhvin which was strangling Leningrad. These were accomplisned, and the Germans, according to their own version, retired to a shortened line to wait for tile spring. The Russians, however, went on to knock great gaps in the winter line by advancing generally between its strongly fortined bastions. They have pusned out 150 miles between Smolensk and Staraya Russa, 150 miles througn Kaluga towards Smolensk from the south-east, and 100 miles from the Donetz Valley towards the Dnieper. The Germans have countered this by holding out grimly in the fortified areas around Mojaisk, Taganrog, Kharkov, Kursk, Orel, Sukninichi, Yukhnov, Rjev, Staraya Russa, and Schlusselburg, which they called hedgehogs. The Crimea also may be regarded as a giant hedgehog. Fight lor Strategic Areas. This led to the encirclement by the Russians and great use of enemy reserves to prevent it. Each side is now lighting lor the possession ot a series of highly fortified strategic areas. The Germans wish to hold them in order to retain advanced bases from which again to strike al vital points in the summer. The Russian plan must be to prevent this and interpose as many strong places as possible between the Germans and those vital points before that time comes. Threatened places are not onl\ Moscow, Leningrad, and Rostov, but the whole strategic system of central European Russia, including the railways connecting those three places and the approaches to the Caucasus. The expert explains that behind this immediate grapple lies a larger struggle. Britain and America are straining to make up for the present Russian industrial inferiority to the Axis bloc by sending war supplies by available routes. If they succeed they should later to able to build up a superior strength, since Russia has the advantage of numbers. If to Russia's superior man-power could be added a weight of equipment per man equal to that of the Axis, Russia would be in a very favourable position. So far Britain has been able to deliver all Stalin has asked for, and America is confidently expected to do even more than Britain. Big Axis Blows Expected. With this prospect in view, observers in London expect determined efforts by Germany and Japan to deal crushing blows at the United Nations in the next few months. Authoritative information received in London from Russia indicates that the Germans have fought very haru in an unsuccessful effort to retain the strongly fortified position at Yukhnov, south-east of Viazma, and have suffered heavy casualties. The snow lies extremely deep and necessarily hampers movement a circumstance which affect the attackers more unfavourably than the defenders. The trickle ot deserters from the German army is increasing on the central and north-western fronts, and prisoners taken by the Russians are in a worse condition than a few months ago.8.0.W. VIOLENT ATTACKS RUSSIANS EMPLOYING NINETY DIVISIONS (Recd. 12.7 a.m.) London, March 12. According to a neutral source, the Russians in the past 24 hours launched almost simultaneous violent attacks on the whole southern front. According to the Vichy radio, the attacks are undoubtedly the most important since the beginning of winter. The Russians are employing about u divisions and are thrusting mainly towards Kharkov, Stalino ana Taganrog. The battle is particularly bitter southward, and north-eastward of Kharkov, where the Germans are strongly fortified. Moscow radio stated that the Russians in the last month recaptured 63 inhabited places and killed 40,000 Germans. In addition, 12,000 are known to have been wiped out by the systematic destruction of three German divisions. The Russians also captured enormous booty.