NEW OFFENSIVE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 March 1942, Page 3

NEW OFFENSIVE

OPENED BY RUSSIANS IN CRIMEA STRONG FORCES THROWN IN. SUCCESSES ON CENTRAL FRONT & IN SOUTH. LONDON, March 8. Vichy reports that a new Russian offensive in the Crimea has been in progress for 48 hours and that the Russians are throwing masses of troops and tanks into the battle. I Vigorous and successful Russian attacks are reported on all main sections of the front, including the Donetz basin, where two inhabited localities have been recaptured. Thirteen hundred Germans were killed on this section of the southern front. The German armies in the Viazma pocket have been placed in still greater danger by fresh Soviet successes. A report from the Moscow radio states that the Russian army in this sector has recaptured the town of “S.” This is believed to be Sychevka, midway between Ryhev and Viazma, on an important railway which connects these two vital points. The capture was effected after two days’ fighting, in which the 48th German Division was almost completely destroyed. As many as 1,500 Germans were left dead on I the battlefield. Masses of war material were captured. > ENVELOPMENT THREAT i 1 TO LARGE OCCUPIED AREA. L GERMANS DRAWING HEAVILY ON RESERVES. LONDON. March 7. The Moscow radio announced that the units of the Red Army closing in on the Smolensk-Viazma highway are now within 50 miles of each other and are threatening to cut off nearly 10,000 square miles of German-occu-pied country. During the last '■ three days 10 inhabited places were reoccupied and 1500 Germans killed on the Smolensk front. The weight and pertinacity of the Russian attacks are causing the Germans to draw heavily on reserves, says “The Times’ ” Moscow correspondent. ' New forces from Spain and France are now engaged in the great battle on the ; River Volkhov for the relief of Lenin- < grad. j . AIR RAID ON WARSAW i — ( POWERFUL RUSSIAN ATTACK. j LONDON, March 7. J Polish circles in London report that , the Russian air force recently heavily ‘ raided Warsaw, considerable damage being done. Traffic was dislocated for six hours.