VIAZMA ENCIRCLED

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 65, 18 March 1942, Page 5

VIAZMA ENCIRCLED

ADVANCE OF RED ARMY UNITS HITLER’S ARMIES ENDANGERED (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. I (Recd. 8.10 p.m.) London, March 16. Advances by Red Army units this morning cut the ViazmaSmolensk railway, thus completing the encirclement of Viazma and enclosing between three to five German divisions. If the Germans succeed in fighting their way out of the pocket their losses in material will be enormous, because the Germans massed at Viazma all the materials intended for use in the assault on Moscow.

Russian paratroops dropped at night during a snowstorm stormed and dynamited a number of important strongpoints behind the German lines covering Smolensk. German reinforcements were rushed to the scene, but all attempts to dislodge the Russians have so far failed. The paratroop operation en-

abled Russian tanks and infantry tc smash through the enemy’s seconc fortified line guarding the ViazmaSmolensk highway. The position ot Hitler’s armies or the central front was further endangered by a new Soviet advance north-westward of Yukhnov, which carried storm troops and tank units into Djagileva, 12 miles south-west of Viazma.