The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-01-29
GERMANS LOSING
. BADLY TO REDS
(Col..nued from Page II

pOTLGO from tIlC OCSupItu CCdlltIi-
navian countries, into the fighting
on the northwestern front, but suf-
.fered almost equal casualties in that
area.
Under the sea and In the air as
we'll the Russians were scoring fresh
triuInphs, aided by the bitter winter.
Red Star, the army organ, reported
q drastic reduction in German air
activity and amazing exploits by the
Russian Arctic submarine fleet,
which SO far has sunk as German
transports totalling more than 200,-
600 tons in the BarentZ sea.
Terrorize Shipping
In winter tempest and the long
Polar nights they have terrorizet
German shipping, SO that all Ger
man vessels now hug the Norwegian
coast and are heavily escorted by
surface craft and planes.
These Arctic submarines Red Star
said, played decisive role in fore
ing the Germans onto the defensive
on the Murmansk front by cutting
the German supply lines.
TIE German Luftwaffe was badly
hamstrung by the cold, curtailing
its flying activity, almost SO per
cent on some fronts for lack of me-
chanics to service planes in winter,
the inability of skiiless planes TO
land on snow-covered fields, and
failure to provide for congealment
OF fufel in Arctic temperatures.
Red Star said that in November
the Germans fcarried out $500
lights on the central front, but only
1850 in December; 1908 on the
central front in November, and only
Loaf in December.
Driving Offensive
The forces of Marshal Semyon
Timoshenko began driving often
siye on the northern sector of the
southern front, resulting from the
progress the Russians achieved in
rolling back the Germans south
west Of Tula in the directions of
Orel and Bryansk.
The German radio admitted a big
Russian ak-through in the Kursk
region, which is within the northern
sector of Timoshenko's front.
Resumption of Russian operations
on the southern front, particularly
In the region where 1t joins the
southwestern limits of the Moscow
front in the directions of Orel and
Bryansk, Indicated that the Rus
SLAMS may now aim at clearing the
Ukraine as far west as the Dnieper.
Though this would be a daring
plan, it Is in accord with Russian
maneuvering employed on all Sec
tors of the Moscow front.
Russian artillery was playing an
important role in these southern
front operations, as it did through
out the fighting on the Moscow
front.
Vast number of heavy cannon
we're used by the Red Army to
: blast German strong points. After
such q barrage the infantry adj
vanced, while special detachments
rushed the cannon along to offer
continual support to the foot SOL
dters.
Battalion Wiped Out
In one sector the Russians wiped
out a. battalion of the 561th infan-
try regiment, capturing the regi-
mental flag as well as that of the
457th regiment and taking 70 CAN
non, and Al mine-throwers In three
days OF fighting. ....
The annihilatio of four regi-
mentS occurred on an unnamed Sec
tor Of the southern front. The regi-
ments were the 228th, 229th, 399th
and 18th infantry. In addition the
Russians shattered the 10Th Elite
guard regiment and the third Hun
garian cavalry regiment.
The army organ, Red Star, re-
ported today that the Germans were
transporting reinforcements to the
northwest front by air, many of
them second line reserves brought
from Denmark, Norway and France.
Kolia Andreanov, a 14-year-old
boy was decorated with the Red
Star for breaking out of town en-
ctrcled by the Germans and giving
the Soviet command precise in
formation on German defense en-
placements as well as by-paths over
which the Russians finally took the
town without any losses.