HAILED IN LONDON

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 January 1943, Page 4

HAILED IN LONDON

AS GREAT MILITARY ACHIEVEMENT LATEST SOVIET CAPTURES IN CAUCASUS. GERMAN DEFENCES BEING ROLLED UP. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 12.55 p.m.) LONDON, January 11. London commentators say that tonight’s special Soviet communique, announcing the capture of six towns, indicates the Russians’ greatest series of victories in one day of the present winter campaign. The captured towns are not only focal points of road and railway communications in the Caucasus but constituted a bastion of the German defences, which apparently are being rolled up since the Russians' break-through, following cn the capture of Mozdok. The Russians thereafter in eight days advanced about 90 miles northwestward and narrowed the German front' in the Caucasus to 200 miles, almost half its length, when the Wehrmacht, hammering against Tuapse, was also over-running the edge of the Grozny oilfields and was probing the trans-Caucasian, military highways. Now that the Russians are astride the Rostov-Caucasus railway and are in control of the lower Caucasus communications, a more rapid drive upon Rostov is sdggested. The special Soviet communique referred to above reads: “A Soviet Army group yesterday, after stubborn fighting in the Northern Caucasus, occupied the towns and railway junctions of Georgievsk, Pyatigorsk, Kislovodsk, Mineralnievodi, Budenovsk and Zheleznovovosk. Three district centres were also captured and much booty is being counted.” Rear-Admiral Frank Pegram, R.N., is in command of the Dakar section of the West African coast, with Vice-Admiral Colinet as French commander of the French ships already travelling with British convoys along the African coast. PRIORITY FOR RUSSIA SUPPLIES FROM UNITED STATES. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.20 a.m.) RUGBY, January 11. Mr H. Ickes, American Secretary for the Interior, said, according to a Washington message, that he had received from President Roosevelt a communication directing him and other officials to give Russia preference in whatever Russia wants and we are able to supply in munitions.” MANY DIFFICULTIES MOST GALLANTLY OVERCOME. SOVIET ADVANCE ON WIDE FRONT. (Received This Day, 1.25 p.m.) LONDON, January 11. The Russian capture of Budenovsk (otherwise Prikumsk) shows that the Russians victories extended over a front of 125 miles north of Kislovodsk, on thg Russian extreme left. Arkhangelskaya, which is one of the district centres captured, lies about 12 miles south of Budenovsk on the road to Georgievsk. Alexandriskaya, another captured district centre, is ten miles north-west of Georgievsk. Mineralnievodi, on the edge of the great wheat-growing steppes, is a key junction on the BakuRostov Railway, 19 miles north-west-ward of Georgievsk. “The Times” Moscow correspondent stresses the difficulties the Russians encountered in their advance over a network of tributaries of the Kuma and Terek rivers, confronting the left wing with natural obstacles on which the Germans based defences, while the right wing was able to move more rapidly across open country. Nevertheless it is remarkable how swiftly the Russians got their infantry along the foothills to Kislovodsk and Pyatigorsk. The Russians have now closed almost all the ravined country. Their tactics in rushing rivers were illustrated when they encountered a large concentrator of guns, giant mortars and tanks on a river athwart their advance. The Russians resolutely made a forced assault on the enemy from close quarters, driving him back and capturing quantities of equipment and prisoners. The Russian army group which captured six Caucasian towns yesterday is commanded by Lieutenant-General Maslennikov. ENEMY ADMISSION GIGANTIC SOVIET EFFORT. OUTCOME NOT TO BE PREDICTED. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.20 a.m.) RUGBY, January 11. Lieutenant-General Dietmar, the German military commentator, speaking on the German radio, made the significant admission that, following on their great exertions, an increased desire to relax was making itself felt among the German troops on the Southern front. He further stated that this year’s Soviet offensive much more concentrated than last year’s, and was directed against the German flanks. The Soviet forces had been able to break through to an appreciable can predict,” he said, “what the outcome will be of this gigantic Soviet effort. It must be admitted that the Soviet reserves, human and material, are far greater than those of the Germans. We shall have to give to our front the numerical superiority that is lacking at the moment The German nation must understand that . he . nc ®’ forth a sharper distinction will nave to be made between reserved and unreserved occupations. More men will have to go to the front to relieve those who are overburdened.”