GREATEST BLOW

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 February 1943, Page 3

GREATEST BLOW

STRUCK BY RUSSIANS SINCE STALINGRAD WHOLE AXIS SOUTHERN FRONT ENDANGERED. FIRST-RATE TROOPS PRESSING OFFENSIVE. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, February 9. Announcing the capture of Kursk, the Soviet High Command in a special communique last night recorded the greatest blow which has been inflicted on the enemy since Stalingrad, and one which may well have even more far-reaching consequences than that German disaster. Kursk is the biggest city to be recaptured since the beginning of the offensive 10 weeks ago, and the greatest German supply base. It had 150,000 inhabitants and 200 factories, and it is the centre of an iron ore district richer than any other in the world. It was held by Hitler for the past 15 months, and from .this base was launched the German offensive last summer. The loss of Kursk means that the whole of the defensive system in South Russia is in the greatest danger of being rolled up, and the capture of the city by the Russians marks a new and important stage in the great German retreat. The Russian High Command reports that much booty is being counted. In London little doubt is felt that it will prove to be large, as the Germans have regarded the town as an important supply centre. The German commander, expecting the asasult, had been strongly reinforced. A special tank division was sent down from Orel. But the city was flanked and stormed on Sunday, and all the German and Hungarian divisions which called themselves the Kursk Army were either wiped out or taken prisoner. Last night the victorious Russians poured on through the gap in the enemy defence line, captured more places, and in the night’s operations wiped out another 6000 troops. Kharkov is the next great base in the German chain, and it is already being outflanked and placed in greater danger. . I DONETZ AND ROSTOV. The Russians are advancing rapidly in the rich Donetz Basin on a wide front of 75 miles. They are reducing the bottle-neck through which the Germans may try to retreat. It is possible that they have already begun to pour out from this huge area of 20,000 square miles, covered by strong rearguards Some reports say that at Rostov the Russians have actually penetrated the suburbs, but there is no confirmation of this.

The Russians are 15 miles from Krasnodar, the last stronghold of the invaders in the Caucasus. “The German forces in the Donetz area are composed chiefly of the armies which have retreated from the Don elbow and the Caucasus, constantly suffering.. defeat since.. November, ..and though they were originally first-class veterans the troops are now unsuitable without a thorough reorganisation for a large offensive or a long and effective delaying battle,” says the Stockholm correspondent of “The Times.” “The Germans apparently have no' prepared defence line behind their present crumbling front, and they need time to organise for the spring and summer.

“The Germans are still harping on having shortened their lines, but they now realise that this process has everywhere workdd to the Russians ’advantage. The Russian victors from Stalingrad and the Caucasus are still first-rate troops, more confident and more numerous to the mile than before, whereas the Germans on the shortened front are everywhere devoid of offensive mentality and are materially and mentally shaken.

“It is obvious,” the correspondent says, “that the Germans' continued ineffective use of reserves will soon create a problem of manpower, because the scale of the operations is eating up thousands, and Germany needs a great horde of well-equipped troops to halt the Russian steam-roller.”

Ths Moscow radio says that the ring round the Germans who were trapped scuth-west of Voronezh is now small, and the Germans are being mopped up, as they are surrendering in droves.