VITAL KEYPOINTS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 January 1943, Page 4

VITAL KEYPOINTS

IN NAZI SOUTH RUSSIAN DEFENCES INCREASINGLY MENACED. RELENTLESS RUSSIAN THRUSTS. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 11.55 a.m.) LONDON, January 10. After 53 days of their successful offensive, the Red armies increasingly threaten Salsk and Rostov, which are most important keypofnts, if the Germans are to extricate their forces from the Kuban steppes. These forces are estimated at 300,000. The Germans are hurling in numerous reinforcements in counter-attacks, but have been unable to stem the relentless Rus-

sian thrusts. A Moscow correspondent says the Russian advance northward and southward of the Don is now averaging fifteen miles a day, despite the resistance of thirty German divisions. The Russians, overcoming numerous strong German defences, with much artillery and many anti-infantry obstacles, reached Ustkagalnetsky, 45 miles eastward of Shaktui, on the VoronezhRostov railway. The Red armies are progressing more swiftly southwards, where, after the occupation of Simovniki on Friday, they smashed on another 35 miles. Twenty-five German divisions are battling in the North Caucasus and in the neighbourhood of Novorossisk, but the Russians, driving on, captured 32 towns and villages. They have already closed the gap between the armies advancing from Kalmukia and the North Caucasus to 30 miles. The Russians are also threatening Salsk from Martynovka, 50 miles northward, and from Veselyi, 32 miles north-westward. This thrust enhances the importance to the Germans of Tikhorets.k as a line of withdrawal from the Caucasus.

DRIVE ON SALSK SPEEDY SOVIET ADVANCE. GERMANS BEATEN AT BLITZ WARFARE. (Received This Day, 11.40 a.m.) LONDON, January 10. The Russians are at present 120 * miles from Tikhoretsk. The British United Press Moscow correspondent says the German defence triangle of Georgievsk, Pyatigorsk and MinFralnyevodi, on the Moz-dok-Rostov railway, is in danger of collapse, owing to Russian drives which have now reached Zolskoe, ■Etoka and Alexandrovskoi. Zolskie is sixteen miles from Pyatigorsk. Etoka is five miles from the junction of the railway to Prikumsk. Alexandrovskoi was strenuously defended, but the Germans abandoned it after flank blows. Having reached Reselyi, the Russians are 32 miles from Salsk. Other forces, fanning out from Simovniki, are advancing northwestwards towards the south bank of '* the River Sal, apparently with the object of linking up with General Rokossovy’s forces, which are standing on the north bank of the Sal, after sweeping across the Don at Tsymlyanskaya. . , After smashing the biggest German counter-attack thus far on the Lower Don, the Russians advanced another eight miles and reached Trofimov, ten miles from the Donetz, midway between the Don River and the Stalingrad western railway. A Russian column advancing along the right bank of the Don, beyond Nikolayevskaya, captured Bogayavlenskaya, 19 miles from the confluence of the Don and Donetz. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent declares that the Red armies in South Russia have beaten the Germans at blitz warfare. Russian mechanised forces have played the chief part throughout the Don and Caucasus offensives. They belong to new armies trained since the outbreak of war. They have proved that tanks can be employed most successfully in winter time.

FURIOUS BATTLE ON THE CENTRAL FRONT. HEAVY GERMAN LOSSES. (Received This Day, 1.0 p.m.) LONDON, January 10. The central front in Russia has boiled up again. A Russian dispatch tonight discloses that a twoday battle in an unnamed sector raged furiously following on the Germans flinging in massed tanks and infantry in an effort to recover lest ground. The dispatch reports

that the Germans have already lost 900 prisoners, 17 tanks, 20 guns and 16 strongpoints. One panzer column, after severe losses, turned tail.

The Germans, as in Libya, are sacrificing vassal troops. One instance of this ocurred on the Don front, where the Russians, carrying out their usual tactics of envelopment, reached the rear of an Italian garrison and saw Germans firing on the Italians who were trying to escape. VILE NAZI ATROCITIES. The terrorism which the inhabitants of Mosdok endured during four month? of German occupation is described by survivors. Of 300 soldiers imprisoned in a house, only seventy emerged. They resembled living skeletons. One, who died after his 1 release, had fourteen untended wounds. The Germans ruthlessly plundered the city, which was once famous for its cleanliness, but is now littered with debris.

The Russians are still advancing in the Northern Caucasus. Tonight’s Moscow communique reports the capture in that area of another town, a large inhabited locality.

On the Lower Don and the central fronts the Russians are continuing offensive operations. In some sectors the Germans are putting up a desperate resistance and have suffered great losses. They have been unable to stem the Russian advance.

Russian warships have sunk an enemy transport of 12,000 tons. In the week ending yesterday, 313 enemy aircraft were destroyed for the loss of 93 Russian planes.