HITLER’S DUPES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 March 1942, Page 3

HITLER’S DUPES

WAR WEARY GERMANS SHOWING SIGNS OF STRAIN ON EASTERN FRONT. HEAVY FIGHTING ON SEVERAL SECTORS. LONDON, March 23. Reports from both Russian and German sources speak of particularly heavy fighting on three sectors of the Russian front—south of Lake Ilmen, in the Donetz basin and in the Crimea. A Soviet communique reports the capture of three more inhabited places in the Leningrad region. It also mentions the capture of an ancient walled city. Increasing air activity is leading correspondents to suggest that the spring offensive is about to begin. An article in the “Pravda” says that under the blows of the Red Army German officers and soldiers are becoming more and more convinced that Hitler has deceived them. Some sections at least of the German Army are convinced of the hopelessness and criminality of the war against Russia and are looking for a way out.

RISING POWER OF RUSSIAN ATTACKS. ENEMY'S INCREASING DIFFICULTIES. LONDON, March 22. After the past few weeks of uniquely late and severe snowstorms, the weather on the Russian front has generally improved, says a correspondent. The Russians have now resumed the full strength of their attacks and all three most important sectors are presenting the Germans with everincreasing difficulties. Though no striking progress can be reported there has been a considerable flaring up of activity in the Leningrad sector, while the Russians have defeated determined attempts by German reinforcements to break through to the beleaguered sixteenth army, whose plight Berlin now realises is most critical, if not already hopeless. A fierce battle is proceeding at the still open “sack mouth” between Smolensk and Viazma. The Russians are persistently battering the sack itself and steadily reducing its size. The position at Orel resembles that at Staraya Russa, even if Orel is not completely isolated. The Gei'man garrison at Orel is reported to be underfed because of interference by guerillas with supplies along the BryanskOrel railway. The position more to the south is obscure. A fierce battle, which is perhaps the most vital of the pre-spring period, is raging to the south and east of Kharkov. The Russians are striking also heavily toward the Dnieper from the direction of Poltava and also against German positions across the Dnieper at Gorlovka. In a desperately-contested tank battle Russian shock divisions, under the command of General Kremenko, recaptured . three more fortified villages on the approaches to Viazma. The captured villages formed part of the second defence line the Germans built round Viazma. General von Oschen, commander of the German 56th infantry division, was killed in this sector.

MORE STRONG POINTS MENACED BY RUSSIANS. BRYANSK & NOVGOROD. (Received This Day, 10.35 a.m.) LONDON, March 23. Bryansk is the latest German strongpoint directly menaced by the Russians. Guerillas and advanced detachments of the Red Army have been operating in the Bryansk area for weeks and today’s Moscow messages indicate that the main army is attacking the city’s approaches after having captured strongly defended outposts. Russians on the north-west front, it is reported, have surrounded an ancient, walled city, believed to be Novgorod. The Russians are attacking, by land and sea, in the Kerch Peninsula, in the Crimea. German counter-attacks have been beaten back, and at one point the Germans left seventeen undamaged tanks behind. Increased German air activity is reported, with the Germans throwing in a new type of Messerschmitt fighter.

SOME BATTLE DETAILS GIVEN BY THE SOVIET. SUCCESSES AT VARIOUS POINTS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.55 a.m.) RUGBY, March 23. Although the latest Soviet communique states that no essential changes have taken place a supplement, issued at the same time, shows that the Russian troops are still exerting tremendous pressure. It states: “In one sector of the central front, after fierce fighting, our units occupied three localities, inflicting heavy losses on the enemy in men and material. In another sector on the same front our troops, in repelling enemy counter-at-tacks, annihilated two enemy companies. During fighting in one locality on the Kalinin front our tank units destroyed 27 blockhouses, two heavy field guns, two mortar batteries and ten anti-tank guns. The enemy left on the battlefield more than 100 officers and men. “In one sector on the north-western front, our units, overwhelming enemy resistance, occupied important defence points, wiping out more than 200 German officers and men. Booty, including five guns, and nine machine-guns was taken. On another sector of the same front 300 Germans were wiped out and considerable booty taken.”