RAPID ADVANCE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 February 1943, Page 4

RAPID ADVANCE

MADE BV RED ARMY AGAINST THREE MAJOR POINTS. HUNS IN DANGEROUS POSITION. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 12.10 p.m.) LONDON, February 21. Fanning out over the wide arc of Kharkov the Red Army in the past 24 hours has rapidly advanced against three major objectives, namely Dnepropetrovsk, Poltava and Sumy. These thrusts menace alike the Germans in the Donetz Basin and the German prospect of holding the line on that already entered from Pavlorgrad and Krasnograd. Moscow correspondents say that after the occupation of Pavlograd—the strategic junction of four railways and several highways—the Russians are pushing on swiftly westwards and south-westwards with a twin thrust, one towards Dnepropetrovsk and the other from Losovaya, along the railway towards Zaporozhe, from where the Russians are 60 miles distant. The drive towards Zaporozhe is likely to be more dangerous to the Germans because it threatens the retreat of two armies. The Germans’ last circuitous railway link from Conbas runs to Zaporozhe, which also controls the Germans rail communications to the Crimea. Its loss would necessitate the Germans moving by road, the difficulties of which would be multiplied in the event of a thaw. The Russians advancing from Pavlograd are now 35 miles from Dnepropretrovsk. The capture of Kegichevka and Nakbvchina-cleared a 50-mile stretch of railway between Losovaya and Krasnograd, assisting the drive to Poltava, which is .another great rail junction for traffic from the Donetz Basin to Kiev. The Russians are now within 50 miles of Poltava after an advance from Krasnograd. CONSIDERABLE THAW ON MANY PARTS OF FRONT. EFFECT ON OPERATIONS. ’ ’ —- LONDON, February 20. There are indications of a considerable thaw in many parts of the Russian front, particularly in the Caucasus, and if this thaw continues for many days it is likely to have a considerable effect upon the tempo of operations. It is probable, however, that the weather will again freeze. Normally, the final thaw does not come till much later, but it has been an unusually mild winter in Russia*. The Germans have been asserting that a thaw along the whole front has slowed up the Russians. Berlin messages to Stockholm last night stated that Hitler was pinning great hopes on the coming spring thaw.