Successes on central front claimed.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 August 1942, Page 3

Successes on central front claimed.

By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.

Rec. 11.35 pm. Lonaon, au g. & t . PIFTEEN days ago Soviet troops assumed the off ensive in the regions of Rzhev, Viazma and Kalinin, says a special announcernent from Moscow. In the first two days of the attack on a front of 200 miles the Germans were forced back between 25 and 30 miles over a 90 miles front. The Germans lost 45,000 killed, and the booty included 250 tanks. The Russian counterstroke north-west and west of Moscow recalls the perfect timing with which M. Stalin launched the winter off ensive of last December in order to save Moscow. The Russians then held their blow until danger had swept up to the very ramparts of Moscow. Now General Zhukov's armies have moved the week after the Germans broke through to the northeast of the Tsimlyanskaya bridgehead on the lower Don and began their fierce drive through Kotelnikov, which to-day is battering against the outer defences of Stalingrad. ^ It is still too early to forecast the effect of General Zhukov's attack upon the crucial battles within a day's march of Stalingrad, but the figures contained in the special Moscow communique clearly indicate the weight of the Russian attack along a 70 miles front. The off ensive is interpreted in Britain as part of the Russian general strategy of attrition, rather than a plan for the immediate relief of Stalingrad, but it is likely to prevent the Germans from overruning the Volga cities' defences with reinforcements drawn from these northern fronts.

German official reports in the past fortnight indicated a strong Russian attack in the Rzhev and Viazma areas. Moscow's communique indicates that thsse attacks have been on a considerable more subBtantial scale than the continuous probing activity conducted throughout the earlier part of the summer. Rzhev, Gjatsk and Viazma — all strongly defended hedgehogs to which the Germans clung when the Russian winter offensive forced them west— comprise a formidable triangle of great strategic importance covering Smolensk. which is the pivot of the German front in Russia, The special Moscow announcernent adds: "Among 610 inhabited localities liberated by August 20 were the towns of Zubzov, Karmanovo and Potoroonoye. According to uncompleted figures our troops captured 250 tanks, 750 guns, 567 mortars and much other booty. while 324 tanks were destroyed. In aerial combat 252 planes were shot down and 290 destroyed on the ground. This Soviet break-through was organised by Generals Zhukov and Koniev." The Moscow announcernent is the first detailed account from the Russians of this new offensive, though Berlin has been speaking of Russian attacks on the Bryansk front for some time. The Russians also took the offensive on the Kalinin front to the north-west, the Moscow radio says. They routed seven German infantry divisions and two motorised and one tank division, Fierce fighting is proceeding on the outskirts of Rzhev. Though attention is naturally primarily focussed on the battle for Stalingrad and the fighting in the foothills of the Caucasus, vigorous actions cbntinue to be

fought on the Voronezh front and northwest of Leningrad. Heavy toll is here being taken of the enemy, says a Moscow message. Forty enemy tanks were destroyed in a two days' battle at Voronezh. Large numbdrs of Germans and Hungarians who are trying to recapture a town on the west bank of the Don south of Voronezh were also wiped out.