SECOND TRAPPED ARMY

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

SECOND TRAPPED ARMY

Steady Reduction

LONDON, January 20.

Reuter’s Moscow correspondent reports that many troops have surrendered from a large number of Hitler's divisions which are hopelessly trapped In the* corridor between the Don and the Kameiwk-Rosoch section of the Voronezh-Rostov railway. The systematic annihilation of the others is proceeding. The “Red Star” compares the encirclement, in numerical importance, with that before Stalingrad. It was officially announced today that the Russians on the Voronezh front have continued their successful offensive. The encircled German garrison in the town of Ostrogozhsk carried out several desperate attempts to break out, but all the enemy counter-attacks were beaten off with heavy losses.

Tn the area of Poyoyaly, 20 miles north-west of Rosocli, Red mobile units, after a two hours’ engagement. captured 5000 Italian officers and men.

In the area of Alekievka, Russian troops attacked a large Italian lorry column. The Italians offered only slight resistance and surrendered quickly. There is fierce- fighting on the Donetz. At one point. Russian tanks and motorized infantry have broken into the enemy’s rear. Advance in Caucasus. Since occupying Cherkessk, Russian troops in the northern Caucasus have crossed the River Kuban, it was announced in Moscow this morning. The enemy is offering stubborn resistance, but (lie Russians are forging abend and have occupied a number of localities. Fierce lighting is in progress for one large locality in the area south-west of Orlovskaya, on the north bank of the River Sal. In another sector on the same front. Russian units are mopping up an encircled enemy force. In one sector on the Caucasus front the Germans, aiming to relieve an encircled garrison, threw into battle large infantry nnd tank forces. The Russians repelled several enemy counter-attacks and annihilated; in stubborn engagements, one German infantry regiment.

Russian forces are reported to be closing in on the big centre of Voroshilovs!?, nnd last night were reported to be less than 30 miles from the city. In the Stalingrad area the annihilation of the encircled Germans continues. Russian storm detachments occupied several fortified positions in the city. On the Leningrad front the Russian 0 continue to push on south of Lake Ladoga. After hard fighting they overwhelmed a strong enemy centre of resistance and look much war material. Many prisoners, including n Gernmn battalion commander, were taken at Shlusselburg.