VITAL ELEMENT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 January 1943, Page 3

VITAL ELEMENT

IN ENEMY COMMUNICATIONS NORTH-SOUTH RAILWAY. UNDER FIRE OF SOVIET GUNS. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, January 5. All four of the Russian offensives are reported by Moscow today to be still making progress. Following the capture of Chernyshevskaya in the Don bend, Russian tanks have pushed on south and south-west of the town. On the middle Don front ,the Russians were reported yesterday to be overcoming stubborn resistance in the deep zone of German defensive positions ‘guarding the Millerovo-Voroshil-ovgrad and Millerovo-Kamenskaya railways. They are swinging mobile units about in surprise moves, cutting off the enemy’s line of retreat and supply. Though hard-pressed, Millerovo holds out.

Pivoting on Velikiye Luki, Russian drives north-west, west and southwest threaten the great north-south trunk railway, which, if not cut, is probably under the fire of Russian guns. Russian progress is inevitably slow, as the Germans are determined to defend the railway. Moscow reports that in Stalingrad, more buildings in the factory area have been wrested from German hands.

Russian bombing of Baltic centres is disturbing the German reinforcement traffic.

Reuter’s Zurich correspondent reports that German newspapers express amazement at the Russian numerical superiority of men, tanks and planes in the* Lake Ilmen, Volga and Don fronts. The “Lokal Anzeiger” says their reserves are probably the greatest surprise of the Russian offensive. The Russians are replenishing smashed units like lightning. The Morocco radio quotes an Istanbul report that rhe German ambassadors in Bucharest, Rome, Budapest and Helsinki have assured the governments to which they are accredited that, the German High Command is “well able to face the present extremely critical position in Russia.” The Russian Orthodox Church has made a grant of 500,000 roubles ,the first instalment of money to buy a column of tanks. The British Ambassador to Moscow, Sir Archibald Clark-Kerr, in a New Year message, said that the bitter struggle for a common cause had brought about an understanding between Britain and Russia which had been missing in the uneasy years of peace.