INCREASING PANIC

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 December 1942, Page 4

INCREASING PANIC

MANY GERMANS THROWING AWAY ARMS ■ RUSSIANS DASHING FORWARD AT SPEED. THREAT TO MILLEROVO GROWING. (By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright) (Received This Day, 11.55 a.m.) LONDON, December 23. At many points on the Middle Don front the Germans are retreating in complete disorder before the Russian offensive. Many of the Germans have become panic-stricken and are throwing away their arms. Reuter's Moscow correspondent says the Russians, after breaking through, are dashing forward 1 at tremendous speed, emulating Hitler’s panzer drive across France. The Germans, having lost their line on the Don, now appear to be lost altogether. The Russian tank columns which crashed through the German defence zone have now reached open spaces, favourable for large-scale manoeuvre. Several large columns of heavy and medium tanks today are irresistibly thrusting southwards and south-westwards, hammering _ new wedges into the German positions. Masses of Russian infantry are quicker filling the gaps torn in the German lines, mopping up and consolidating newly-won positions. German garrisons are making stands in strong points originally far behind their front line, but reports are coming in that more and more of these garrisons are either surrendering or being put out of ac-

tion. Hitler at one stage made an at-tempt-to stop the rot but bombed his own retreating troops. The German Command so far has been unable to offer a systematic or tactically comprehensible counterblow. The Red Army has created one solid front and is sweeping onward. The Russian threat to Millerovo has grown greater during the past 24 hours. Battles are waxing fiercer southwest of Stalingrad. The Germans have raced up numerous tanks and are attempting by massive blows to pierce the Russian lines and relieve von Hoth’s trapped forces.