FIERCE FIGHTING

Waikato Times, Volume 130, Issue 21688, 26 March 1942, Page 5

FIERCE FIGHTING

BIG GERMAN LOSSES BLOWS BY RUSSIANS SECOND FRONT URGED (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. CODyrtg-bt) LONDON, March 24 Reinforced German resistance is 1 most stubborn everywhere except at Staraya Russa, where operations appear to be approaching a conclusion. Elsewhere the fighting is fierce and | bloody, with both sides suffering heavy losses. A competent Russian observer describes the present fighting as being as tough as any throughout the war. The Moscow radio says the Germans are making mass air raids and employing numerous tanks and guns in a desperate effort to break out from Staraya Russa, but the Russians continue to inflict enormous losses. The Russians’ primary object during the winter has been to deny the | Germans an opportunity to recuperj ate rather than the occupation of ter- ! ritory, says the Times’ correspondent in Moscow. The Russians have ! achieved this objective by shrewdly j placing constant blows, rather than by blindly flinging in masses. The Russian offensive must be paid ' for and Russia today needs every tank and aeroplane that can be de- ! livered. British deliveries, after ; lagging earlier, are now on schedj ule. Numbers of English lorries j have been seen in Moscow. The topic dominating every conversations an Englishman holds, ! whether with soldiers, workers or ini tellectuals, is the desirability of j opening a second front in Europe. It serves no good purpose to ignore this mood and the growing impatience. 1 Tenseness of Fighting An article in the newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda recently stated: “ It is difficult to realise from afar the tenseness of the March fighting in Russia, but if our friends cannot see how thickly German divisions have gathered on our front, then they need only use binoculars to see how thinly the Germans stand on the Atlantic coast.” The weather on the Russian front has distinctly begun to break. Frosts are now a rarity anywhere on the j front and thawing snow is hamperJ ing the mobility of vehicles, says the I correspondent in Stockholm. German 1 spokesmen do not conceal the hope , that the real thaw is beginning, I pointing out that the more difficult | transport conditions are unfavourable I for the Russians in their present im|petuous temper. | Although heavy fighting is pro- | gressing there has been little in the I way of territorial changes. The Germans still hold more advanced positions than the Russians had hoped. However, the Russians point out that, although Marshal Timoshenko’s and General Zhukoff’s armies have not achieved the success hoped for and have not completed their embraces across the Dnieper and Viazma regions, they have managed the most important mobile parts of these enterprises and may still achieve much by attrition from points already reached against the semi-enveloped German armies in the Donetz Basin and between Smolensk and Moscow.. The mouth of the Viazma sack is so narrow that it may yet be closed, while the Rjev and Gjatsk pockets may be pounded into smaller compass if not destroyed. Much Booty Captured A special Soviet communique states: In the period from March 9 to 23 our units operating on the Leningrad front captured six guns, eight tanks, 90 trench mortars, 424 ma-chine-guns, 1600 rifles, 6000 shells and much other booty. During the same period our men destroyed 86 German aircraft. DESPERATE GERMANS MANY POSITIONS ABANDONED RUSSIANS STILL ADVANCING i United Press Assn.—irec. Tc/. cop.vrlgiu; LONDON, March 24 It is unofficially estimated in Moscow that the Germans have flung over 38 reserve divisions into the fighting on the Russian front. The Germans are reported to be using full divisions in a series of counterattacks, perhaps heralding the beginning of the spring offensive. The Moscow radio says the Germans are making mass air raids and are employing numerous tanks and guns in a desperate effort to break out from Staraya Russa, but the Russians continue to inflict enormous losses. Tjae Red Army smashed an attempted large-scale counter-offens- ! ive in the Kalinin sector and recapj tured several more towns and vilj lages. The Germans continue to abandon position after position and are hastily rushing up reinforcements. SHORTAGE OF FUEL NEED FOR MORE COAL (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tei. copyrig-nu LONDON, March 24 The fuel position in London during the winter was extremely grave, said Lord Latham *in the House of Commons, when discussing coal production and distribution. Thousands of Londoners were without warmth for long periods. Residents of one important metropolitan borough were obliged to go to bed after tea in order to keep warm. If the same position is not to arise next winter, the Government must immediately introduce improved organisation for the distribution and storage of cqal in advance. Lord Templemore announced that a certain number of men are being released from the Army for service in the pits. Further measures are under consideration. SABOTAGE AT KRUPPS PRODUCTION HELD UP (United Press Assn.—Elcc fet. Copyright) LONDON, March 24 Mosco\v radio has stated that production in the barrel department of the Krupp munition works at Essen has been stopped for several days as a result of sabotage. The Dresden-Prague railway has been torn up and one train was wrecked.