IMPORTANT GAINS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 March 1942, Page 3

IMPORTANT GAINS

MADE BV THE RUSSIANS ON THE LENINGRAD FRONT & ELSEWHERE. NUMBER OF ENEMY TANKS DESTROYED. LONDON, March 18. The latest news from Russia tells of fresh advances by our allies and the infliction of heavy losses on the enemy. The Russians smashed through the enemy defences in one sector, capturing five places in an area of great strategic importance in which the Soviet troops are continuing their advance. A supplementary communique states that the Russians wiped out 2,500 of the enemy in recent fighting on a part of the Leningrad front. Many of the prisoners captured recently by the Russians are reservists in high age groups who until a few weeks ago were working in German arms factories. The Leningrad radio, announces that Soviet troops have occupied a populated place described as "Sh” on the Leningrad front. Over 600 Germans were killed on the approaches to the town. Sixteen firing points were destroyed, as well as a number of tanks. The fighting has now reached the suburbs of Kharkov, whose fall is imminent,” says a Moscow communique. NAZI ADMISSIONS PRESSURE ALONG WHOLE FRONT. RUSSIANS WELL SUPPLIED WITH TANKS. LONDON, March 17. Military circles in Berlin now admit renewed Russian pressure along the whole front. They emphasise, says “The Times’ ” Stockholm correspondent, the great numbers of tanks thrown into the battles, particularly in the south. Commentators say the Germans have not yet recognised a single tank of British or American construction and express wonder at the productivity of the Russian tank factories. If true, this shows that, the Russians possess enormous tank reserves to meet the German spring offensive, including thousands from abroad, a fact which appears disquieting to German military circles.