RUSSIANS READY

Waikato Times, Volume 130, Issue 21689, 27 March 1942, Page 3

RUSSIANS READY

GERMANS’ OFFENSIVE HITLER’S NEW ARMY HEAVY ENEMY CASUALTIES United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received March 27, 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, March 26 With a thaw beginning on the Russian front Germany is expected soon to take the offensive. Germany has everything to gain and everything to lose and will face the issue in a gambler’s spirit. Every resource is likely to be thrown in regardless of cost. The Russians, however, despite the huge cost of the offensive since early in December, are better in every way for the German offensive than they were last June. The Yorkshire Post’s military writer says: “The Russians believe that Hitler’s new army will not stand the strain of fighting as well as the first Nazi army. It is suggested that August may see the end of the t German army.” It adds that correspondents’ mes- [ sages from Stockholm report that the Russians are launching mass in- : fantry attacks on the Donetz front, and as a result of the actions during ‘ the last fortnight on the Leningrad ; front 17,000 Germans have been capJ tured. Moscow reports that 56 German ? bombers raided Murmansk on Wed- ; nesday. Eleven were destroyed. Withering Fire Tank units and shock troops of ; Marshal Timoshenko’s southern . armies are blasting their way from , house to house through the shatter- . ed south-eastern suburbs of Stalino, says the Stockholm correspondent of the Daily Telegraph. Guerillas inside Stalino have unearthed hidden ; arms and roused the civilians in the ■ rear of the Germans. One of the heaviest bombardments ! of the war opened the assault against i the city. Five subsequent consecutive assaults brought the Russians ■ into the city itself before German reinforcements temporarily stemmed ; their advance. The streets of Stalino , ran with blood as the Germans, j sandwiched between Russian regulars and guerillas, met a withering , fire. ’ The reoccupation of Stalino, says the correspondent, is militarily as im- | portant as the successes at Kaluga, Mojaisk and Kalinin. It forces the Germans to reassemble well to the west the supplies for their armies on the central Donetz front. The operations against Stalino are reported to be under the direction of General Cherevichenko, who recaptured Rostov on November 29. Russian military circles are optimistic that the battle of Stalino will be a further obstacle to Hitler’s spring offensive. In the north the main Russian forces are close to the town of Staraya Russa, and the enemy’s supply lines have beon cut. In the Smolensk area the Red Army has driven deep into the flanks of the German lines and the enemy has again been forced to bring up reserves. Enemy Planes Destroyed No material changes took place on the Russian fronts either yesterday or last night, according to the latest Moscow communique. The intensity of the air battles is, however, sustained. It is officially stated that 37 German planes were destroyed on March 23, and 27 were destroyed the following day, against nine Russian machines lost. Use of Poison Gas Against the advice of his military chiefs, Hitler intends to use gas as a last resort if ordinary military measures are not sufficient for success in his spring offensive against Russia, according to a source in close contact with the German munitions industry, says a message from Istanbul. The informant said that all German chemical factories for many months had been working overtime preparing poison gases which are being sent to the Russian front. SWEDEN WILL RESIST READY FOR ATTACK (United Press Assn.—Elec. Te;. Copyright) STOCKHOLM, March 25 “No country not attacking Sweden need regard her as an adversary,” said Mr P. E. Skoeld, Minister of: Defence, in an address to the Defence Conference. He added that the ruthlessness of war means that at any moment a situation may arise when a belligerent may violate Sweden. The attacker will meet the strongest military resistance. JAPANESE COMPLAINT LUKEWARM FILIPINOS (United press Assn. —Elee Tel. Copyright) NEW YORK, March 25 The Toklo official radio quoted the newspaper Hochi, which complained that the Filipinos were lukewarm toward co-operation with the Japanese. The paper attributed this attitude to the fact that the Filipinos have lived so long under American influence and acquired many unsympathetic qualities charj acteristic of Americans. | Use of Bloodhounds.—Troops and bloodhounds are searching for the four German war prisoners who' escaped from a camp in the northwest of England last night. 1