ARMIES MASS IN RUSSIA

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23962, 1 June 1943, Page 5

ARMIES MASS IN RUSSIA

SIMULTANEOUS MOVES PROBABLE SOVIET AIRCRAFT MAKE HEAVY RAWS IN.Z Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 10 p.m.) LONDON, May St). Offensive preparations by both sides in Russia have reached such a stage of completeness that there are now indications that a German offensive on the centra] front and Russian drives from Leningrad, the Donets, and Rostov may be launched simultaneously. “A new Soviet army of 4,000,000 men is moving into line,” says the Moscow radio. "The new army has completed severe training after many months and it is equipped with new and modern weapons. Marshal Budenny and Marshal Voroshilov have trained the new forces.” On the central front German concentrations are massing ready to strike at Moscow in a new attempt to split the Russian armies. The Russian forces based on Leningrad appear to be preparing to advance with the intention of threatening the German positions on the central front and possibly sweeping through to the Baltic States, while the Soviet armies in the Donets and at Rostov are initiating a further development of the drive which was carried out successfully in the winter offensive. A special Soviet communique says that on Saturday night strong forces of Soviet long-range aircraft, only one of which is missing, attacked the railway junction at Gomel and the station at Karachev. Trains and artillery depots were plastered with bombs.

Fires destroyed many trains, while others were burnt out. Especially heavy explosions were caused in an artillery depot at Karachev. Gomel and Karachev are on the central front, west of Orel. The ordinary Soviet communique issued to-night reports a continuation of fighting north-east of Novorossiisk, The Germans continue to give the bulk of the news of the operations in the Kuban, which is still the most active sector. The Berlin radio says that operations there cannot be described as a major battle, but they could develop into one. Moscow maintains silence on the Kuban fighting, but Axis radios declare that the Red Army is forcing its way through the marshy country of the Taman peninsula and is engaged in a major move to outflank the Germans’ Kuban defences. The Paris radio says: “The Kuban battle has taken on a new character in the last 48 hours. The Russian attacks t wards Novorossiisk have ceased, but important fighting is occurring east of Krymskaya, where the Red Army has a 10-to-one superiority. The Russians made landing attempts in the lagoon area round Temryuk in order to turn the German defences,” The Berlin radio admitted that one German base at Temryuk was enKrapotkin u ut)<i EL zTT6yoroßsitsK^^ BLACK SKA j/Khadyirnnsk T f 0 5,0 'OO Tuapsg< 7 0AflA // circled, but it claimed that a counterattack freed it, Reuter’s correspondent in Moscow reports savage and intense air battles over the Kuban front. He says that from 40 to 50 air battles are occurring each day. The Germans are rushing troops to the Kuban by all available ports, and they are running the gauntlet of ceaseless air attacks by naval Stormoviks says a message from Moscow. In recent actions Soviet airmen sank five large troop barges, a tugboat, and a transport, all on the way to Anapa. Dispatches suggest that the Germans in the Kuban must be in a tight spot if they persist in using this hazardous route for the transport of reinforcements. . .. Reports from Moscow say that the Germans at the week-end made day and night raids on Leningrad. Russian fighters and anti-aircraft batteries destroyed 20 of the raiders. The Germans also backed uo the air attacks with a renewed artillery barrage, hurling shells into the already battered Leningrad city. The defence forces, however stoutly clung to thnr positions and returned the barrage with m‘‘St week Soviet aircraft destroyed 456 German aircraft in the air and on the ground. The Soviet forces lost 118 warship has sunk a German transport in the Barents Sea.

PRODUCTION OF FOOD

DANGER OF WORLD SHORTAGE REPORT TO HOT SPRINGS CONFERENCE ,Rcc 930 p.m.) HOT SPRINGS May 30 R A'grcat P world shortage of unless adjustments in production ar - made now and also immediately aftei the war is envisaged by a special.sub committee in a report spitted tor consideration by the General Food Conreport says: “There are likely to be severe shortages, not only of the principal foods but also of transport and means of production—fertiliser . seed, machinery, implements, and petrol It seems there will be a woild shortage of meats, milk, other livestock products, oils, and fats, and even rice. Lack of adequate transportation from countries with surplus stocks ot grains may even cause shortages ot bread and grains in some areas. The reoort adds that the pnncipa. production aim during the post-war shortage period must be alleviation ot hunger, with - nutritional improvement temporarily filling a minor role. “This calls for an increasing acreage of crops for direct human consumption while holding back the rebuilding of livestock herds and limiting the production of other crops. The report foresees overproduction with a consequent reduction of prices when the devastated areas are again producing, unless “each nation progressively adjusts the use of its production resources to conform with a long-term, co-ordinated production plan for the best use of these resources on a world scale.” The Associated Press says that conference experts estimated a need of at least 8000 cargo ship voyages to supply liberated Europe's immediate food needs after the war, and adds that this shipping problem will be increased by the need to maintain large armies of occupation. “Wings For Victory” Week.— The King, accompanied by the Queen and Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret Rose, took the salute at the Windsor “Wings for Victory” week parade this afternoon in the quadrangle of Windsor Castle. More than 3000 representatives of the Allied fighting forces marched through the town. —Rugby, May 30.