RED ARMY RAGES ONWARD

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 101, 23 January 1943, Page 5

RED ARMY RAGES ONWARD

Wide Front In South (By Telegraph.—Press As-sn.—Copyright.) LONDON, January 21. The capture of. Voroshilovsk (formerly Stavropol), the important collective farming centre in the Kuban area, is announced in a special Russian communique. The town was occupied after a stubborn battle in which the Russians captured prisoners and mighty Russian armies now threaten six of the most important German communication centres in southern Russia— Kharkov, Kursk, Lugansk, Rostov, Salsk, and Armavir.

Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says that the threat to Rostov has increased with the Russians closing in on Likhaya, Lugansk, and Salsk. Front-line dispatches from the Salsk sector tonight which say that fighting is raging on the eastern outskirts of “a large populated jilace” may refer to Salsk itself. The Russians have crossed the Manych in this sector. The capture of Proletarskaya, a few miles to the north of Salsk, which was made yesterday, was achieved by an attack from three* sides. The Russians finally drove the Germans out after fierce street fighting. The defenders included an S.S. regiment and the remnants of several divisions which were severely handled in the earlier fighting on this front. Clocklike Precision. The move toward Salsk threatens not onlv the Germans at Rostov, but the flank of Hitler’s army in the Caucasus. Here the Russian advance continues rapidly. In 18 days they have cMmred IbO miles through difficult country, lhe next German base at which are striking is Armavir, which is now within 3o miles of their advanced units.. „„„„„ The Russian advance inthe Caucasus is continuing with clock-hke precision. Nevinomysk was taken yesterday by a l '°The Russians on the Donetz front are advancing against Likhaya junction (south of Kamensk) from two directions. A number of villages were captured on this front in the past ,24 hours. Three Russian columns are closing in on Voroshilovgrad (Lugansk), the Donetz nidustrial centre, one of them being only - “’Farther*north, the column which took Bvelovodsk yesterday is now threatening the bi- town and railway station .or Starobyelsk, 40 miles north-east of Lisichansk. North of these fronts the Soviet offensive that started from below Voronezh is reported to be developing powerfully and the enemy forces which have been encircled are being steadily wined out. A correspondent cables from Moscow that a Very large number of guns and prisoners is being taken and that German supplies are falling into Russian hands. On the northern front the combined Volkhov and Leningrad armies are reported to be advancing southward, lhe Russians report a battle for an important point whei-6 the German defences oyer a wide area pivot on a place which is bein„ attacked from three sides. The Germans are rushing reinforcements there. The attacks against the encircled Germans before Stalingrad continue, sajs “The Times” Moscow correspondent. . It is estimated that 5000 were killed and nearly 1000 captured since the announcement on January 16 had been reduced to about 50,000 men.