NAZI LOSSES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 February 1942, Page 3

NAZI LOSSES

TWELVE THOUSAND DEAD ON BATTLEFIELD MASSES OF MATERIAL TAKEN BY RUSSIANS. GROWING THREAT TO SMOLENSK. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) LONDON, February 25. About 10 days ago Soviet troops on the north-western front, under General Kurochkin, began an encircling movement against the 16th German Army in the region of Staraya Russa. The encirclement was completed a few days ago. Owing to the refusal of the German army, commanded by General von Busch, to surrender, the Soviet troops started to attack. One infantry division of the second army corps, commanded by General Hanzen, and an S.S. division were routed. The Germans left 12,000 killed on the battlefield and an immense quantity of war material, including food and ammunition, was captured. During the fighting Soviet troops commanded by Generals Morozov, Gryaznov and Bergavin specially distinguished themselves. The captured material included 185 guns, 29 tanks, 340 machineguns, 355 parachutes, more than 1,000,000 rounds of ammunition and more than 1000 railway trucks. Stores, provisions, equipment and ammunition dumps were also captured. Staraya Russa is south of Lake Ilmen and about 140 miles south of Leningrad. It is also 50 miles east of the Leningrad-Vitebsk railway, which is also threatened further south, near Kohlm and Velikiye Luki. The recapture of Dorogobuj represents a serious threat to the ViazmaSmolensk railway, which is the only railway available to the Germans in the event of a retreat from the Viazma and Rzhev areas. The Russians are now only 15 miles southward of the railway, while Russian raiders are most active to the north of the railway preparing the way for the advance of substantial bodies of regulars. “The Times” Stockholm correspondent says Russian reports will possibly soon reveal that the northern arm of General Zhukov’s arm is on or near the Viazma-Smolensk railway.' RUSSIANS DRIVING ON. The Moscow has recorded particularly heavy German losses on the central front. It claims that the Russians are smashing stubborn resistance and driving on. The radio also reported fierce fighting on the southern front, where 14 more towns and villages and two stations have been recaptured. The enemy attempted to counter-attack but was repulsed. According to a report from Stockholm, the Red Army is increasingly using parachutists, who arc landing in the rear of the German lines and cooperating with partisans, causing confusion among the enemy and inflicting heavy destruction on transports. Berlin military circles admit the effectiveness of these operations and declare their admiration for men who are prepared to make descents in tempera-