LOSS OF TAGANBOG

Wairarapa Times-Age, 31 August 1943, Page 4

LOSS OF TAGANBOG

MAY MEAN GERMAN RETREAT ; ; TO DNIEPER EPJ.EMY fiJVEIM NO TIME . ■TO REFORM SHAKEN TROOPS. . SMASHING RUSSIAN BLOWS. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day. 12.30 p.m.) LONDON August 30. Military observers in London believe that the German withdrawal from Taganrog presages a widespread German retreat to the Dnieper River, although it will undoubtedly be accompanied by heavy fighting. One report states that Taganrog was taken after stiff fighting, in which the Soviet Black Sea Fleet played its part. Taganrog was the last link with German dreams of reaching Caucasian oil through Rostov. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says German hopes of holding on to the remaining vantage points around Kharkov are fading fast as the Red Army drives on from Lyubotin. The enemy is getting no time to reform his shaken troops and Russian tanks and divebombers are smashing up his hastilyerected fortifications.

“ELASTIC DEFENCE”

■ LABOURED GERMAN LIES. • ATTEMPTS TO EXPLAIN AWAY DEFEAT. ■ (Received This Day, 12.30 p.m.) LONDON, August 30. . While Marshal Stalin, in his order of the day, makes it clear that the Germans were forced qut of Taganrog, the Germans continue to assert that the port was evacuated according to plan. Today’s German communique claims that Taganrog “is completely destroy.’ecl."

■ “'The German news agency military •commentator said: “The evacuation ,of Taganrog may have surprised the public, particularly since the Russians have given no news of fighting in that area. The withdrawal of the German 'lifie in this sector must obviously have -seme strategic significance. This manoeuvre remained undetected by the enemy, which shows that the German command is master of the situation and acts at the moment it considers suitable.

It is pointed out in Berlin that however important certain towns and areas may be, they can be abandoned without harm because there is so much space at the disposal of the German command. The Germans, it is. added, quickly learned to use the Russian methods of elastic strategy, provided it is more advantageous and. less costly in men and materials and inflicts the greatest possible enemy losses.” BREAK THROUGH ON FORTY-MILE FRONT. RUSSIANS FAR BEYOND TAGANROG. LONDON, August 30. 1 ... Russian forces in the south have broken through the German lines on a forty-mile front. Taganrog is already far in the rear of the most advanced Russian forces, which are reported to be half-way to Mariupol.