OFFENSIVE GATHERS MOMENTUM

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 100, 22 January 1943, Page 5

OFFENSIVE GATHERS MOMENTUM

Soviet Regains Half Summer Losses IBy Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. I (Received January 21, 10.30 p.m.) LONDON, January 21. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent cables that the Russian's 600mile winter offensive in the south, which is entering its tenth week, is gathering momentum. Hitler’s forces are threatened in the great central bases of their winter line —Rostov, Kharkov, and Kursk, besides North Caucasia. The Moscow correspondent of The Tinies says that the Russians in the south are carrying the battle westward into regions which the Germans can ill-afford to lose if they hope to retain any of last summer's gains, and they have already lost about half of the territory which was seized after the launching of the first attack from the Kursk salient last year. A feature of the mobile warfare on the Voronezh front is the utter routing of the Italians and Hungarians. The latter are brave in offensive warfare, but crack when the tide turns against them.

from this important collective farming Centre.

In the north, Soviet successes in the Velikiye Luki sector, in which several more places were taken yesterday, have coincided with ti deepening of tlie winter, says the Moscow correspondent of “The Times.” All the German positions between White Russia and the Baltic Sea are menaced. It is important to remember that the frozen ground in the north will not permit of movements of mechanized forces for many- months, but it gives ski-mounted troops, of whom the Russians have a vast number, a substantial advantage.

Reports from Moscow indicate that a furions battle is progressing in the Leningrad area today as the Germans strive desperately to prevent the Russians from widening the nine-milc corridor linking General Govorov's forces with those of General Meretskov in the Volkhov area. The British United Press correspondent in Moscow says that the German resistance has stiffened, but that the Russians have smashed another strongpoint and seized booty. An even more furious battle is developing in the swampy forests south of Lake Ladoga, where the Red Army has advanced southward after mopping up the whole south bank of the lake and the left bank of the Neva. The roar of gunfire echoes unceasingly through the forests while heavy tanks rumble across half-frozen marshes.

Stormoviks played a vital part, in support of the ground forces in the. battle for the crossing of the Neva. Grazing the tree-tops and telegraph poles, they pounded the German positions during General Govorov’s breakthrough, while ski troops raced across the frozen Lake Ladoga and. stealing through forests, took the enemy by surprise, Ono of the bloodiest battles of the Leningrad breakthrough occurred in a workers’ settlement at Sinyavino, which crack German trpops were defending. It changed hands several times and was finally taken after the Germans had lost more than 10,000 in killed and wounded.