TANK BATTLE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 December 1942, Page 3

TANK BATTLE

GREATEST OF THE WAR IN RUSSIA RAGING SOUTH OF RZHEV. NEW BREACH OPENED IN ENEMY INES. (By Telegraph—‘Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, December 14. One of the greatest tank battles of the war in Russia is raging deep insde the German fortified zone south of Rzhev, between Sychevka and the headwaters of the Dnieper River, where General Zhukov is battering at the Germans with fresh infantry and tank divisions. The battle is occurring about 30 miles north of Viazma, and General von Kluge is hurrying reinforcements from Smolensk to protect the northern flank of the Smolensk-Viazma highway and railway. A German correspondent, reporting from Viazma, says, “We are facing a vast and carefully-planned offensive. The Russian tank armies are every bit as strong as they were last winter.” A Soviet communique states: “On December 13 our troops in the Stalingrad area and on the central front continued their offensive in the same directions as before. During the week December 6 to 12 inclusive, 405 transport planes, were destroyed. Our own losses in the same period were 156 aircraft.” The midday ’ communique, after reporting continued offensive operations

last night, confirms repirts of an important new advance west of Rzhev. It states that a Russian unit, as a result of four days of fighting, occupied several strong-points. Seven hundred of the enemy were killed and 75 Germans taken prisoner. The attack was made by a strong force of tanks and supporting infantry under the immediate command of General Zhukov. It has opened another breach in the enemy defence line, a Moscow dispatch comments.