FLAT-OUT ATTACK

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 April 1943, Page 4

FLAT-OUT ATTACK

' ON VERY GREAT SCALE 4f * ■•-'■•PLANNED BY GERMANS E: IN RUSSIA " M. KALININ’S CONFIDENCE. ;; HITLER’S REPEATED FAILURES. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) (Received This Day, 11.15 a.m.) LONDON, April 4. A warning that the Germans are v. likely soon to launch a flat-out * attack against the Soviet is given by Mr. Alexander Werth, Moscow correspondent of the “Sunday Times. ” Mr. Werth is a Russian, born of a Russian father and a British mother. The “World’s Press News,” in its most recent issue, says Mr. Werth is in close and confidential touch with the Russian authorities and that messages from him carry particular weight. Mr. Werth, in his despatch to the “Sunday Times,” says: “There is an unmistakable feeling of tension in Moscow. There is a deep consciousness everywhere of big events in store. The Germans are increasing their attempts to gain a foothold on the east side of the Donetz River, clearly as a prelim- : inary to much bigger operations, plan- . ned probably for the very near future. German concentrations already are .very heavy at Orel, Briansk and Byelgorod, respectively north and south of the Kursk salient. The German command clearly considers the wiping out of the salient to be essential. The Ger- . "mans are talking of doing a Stalingrad ’on the Russians at Kursk to avenge ■Stalingrad. The Russians, therefore, ’ are preparing for extremely heavy fighting. The Germans are likely _to concentrate everything for a big drive ’ .against Moscow. The enormous troop " concentrations at Orel and Briansk may attempt to strike out in a direct line. •■'■The Russians are keyed up. ‘We are ■ -going to stick it, but this may well be ' ’a grimmer summer than the last,’ is a remark frequently made by soldiers. There are no illusions about German "'strength. It is also realised that the German total mobilisation will be a formidable factor in 1943. General Dietmar, speaking on the Berlin radio, said surprises-are in store for the Russians' in a few months’ time.' The Soviet President (M. Kalinin), however, in an article in all Russian newspapers, adopts a more optimistic note. He says: “Hitler has twice been forced to admit that the German Army was within a hairsbreadth of catastrophe—firstly at Moscow and then at Stalingrad. The German Army will a third time fall into the pit it has dug for itself. The lightning war planned by the Germans will not succeed. Hitler expected as a result of total mobil- ■ isation, to be able to rob the occupied countries and restore his shattered material resources. Hitler is a gambler. Luck at first was on his side, but since the attack on Russia it has been failing him. Our task is to frustrate all Hitler’s ventures.” M/ Kalinin, after stressing the responsibility of agricultural workers and the importance of cultivating every scrap of land, said: “The enemy on our territory is greedily drinking our people’s blood. Only shells and bullets can close his insatiable mouth.” HUGE RESERVES RUSHED UP BY GERMANS. GROUND DRYING FAST IN UKRAINE. (Received This Day, 12.30 p.m.) LONDON, April 4. Although the battlefront has quietened, the Russian Press warns the people that there are testing struggles ahead as the Germans are stated to be rushing up a huge number of freshlyformed divisions. Russian guerillas have observed an endless procession of trains in the Ukraine, where the d'ast-drying ground is favouring concentration.