Evening star., 1942-12-24
Germans Reported in
Wild Disorder in
At Least One Area
BY EDDY GILMORE,
Associated Press War Correspondent.

MOSCOW, Dec. 24-PresSing
southwark across the middle Don
steppeS at an unchecked pace,
the Red Army today captured
several more CoSSack towns and
rapidly narrowed the 130-mile
gap between Millerovo and RoS-
tov on which the German COM
mand depended for land con-
nection with its hundreds of
thousands Of men before Stain
grad and in the Caucasus.
The Russians were sweeping for
ward at a rate of II to 18 miles a
day. and Pravda. the Communist
Party organ. said the Germans in at
least one sector were in wild dis
order, leaving II unchanged Messer-
schmitt fighting planes on one air
field which was suddenly Scooped
into the Soviet net.
The Red Army drove an arc about
the vital communications hub OF
Millerovo, approximately l30 miles
from RostoY on the Don at the Sea
of Azof.
They were withifl 81 miles of Vo-
roshilovgrad, in the heart of the
rich Donets basin, and within 81
miles of KamenSk, where the Mil
lerovo- -Rostov railway crosses the
Donets.
Of to the southeast of the Rus
sian thrust was Kotelnikovskl, on
the Stalingrad- Caucasus railway, 120
miles away.
Ia Miles From MillerovO.
BY occupying the CoSsack town OF
Olkhovoi Rog, the Russian forces
had moved up to within IA miles dl-
respey east of Mlllerovo.
The position of Millerovo doubt
lessly was the German commander
greatest concern at the moment for
the fall of this city of $4,000 popu-
lation would leave them only one
main line, the Kharkov-Taganrog-
Rostov railway, and two secondary
lines which connect below Kamensk,
as a means of communications to
German troops to the northeast and
in the Caucasus.
Directly west of Millerovo the
Russians were at Voloshina, while TO
the southeast they were at Boil
shinsk. BervomaiSkoie and Sulinsky.
The drive through Voloshina threat
ened the MilleroVo-Vor
railway.
To the northwest they also had
captured Barranikovka and Gabl-
Chino, and to the northeast they
held Novoselovka
The Russian tally of $4,000 Ger
mans killed or captured-16,400 cap
tured yesterday alone-waS sWelled
bv todays official report which
listed 1000 prisoners from one divi-
sion. including the division COM
mander,
1900 Are Captured.
A Red Star dispatch also told OF
the capture Of 2,200 Of the enemy at
one settlement which was sur
rounded.
At another place, Red Star said,
the Russians seized 30 tanks which
had been dug into the ground for
defense.
The Soviet noon communlque re-
peated the story of successes told IN
two war bulletins issued earlier IN
the day, which listed several towns
taken in the MilleroVo area and re-
ported that in the first seven days
of the offensive Russian troops had
advanced from 70 to l03 miles.
The early communiqueS also
dwelt on the supplies captured from
the retreating enemy and listed
the prisoners taken since December
is at 36,600
Towns Not Identified.
Advices from the front did not
Immediately identify the latest towns
reclaimed from the Germans, but
the communiques issued early today
listed these large inhabited local
tiles among those occupied: Gabl-
chino. Baranikoyka, Novoselovka,
OIkhovoi Rog, Bolshinsk and Turin
sky. The district centerS of Volo-
shina and Pervomaysk also were
taken. the communique said.
Voloshina is Is miles west Of
Millerovo, the junction city on the
Moscow to -Rostov Railway. Bara-
nikovka is 81 miles northwest
The occupation Of VolOshina put
the Red Army into another town
on the border Of the Ukraine and
pushed the other arm of the ad-
vance west Of MilleroyO so that that
city now nestled in a pincers.
Major Battle for Town.
What appeared to be a major bat
tie for a town southwest Of Stain
grad was reported in the midday
communique, which said stubborn
fighting diSlodged the Germans from
the town and that they left more
than 1000 killed, and Is tanks, 63
trucks, u guns, l8 machine guns
and planes destroyed.
The struggle in and around Stain
grad continued much as 1t has dur
ing the last fortnight of the first
Russian offensive this winter
clashes for dugouts and machine
gun nests, scouting activity and raids
on trenches. Northwest of Stain
grad eight German planes we're
brought down in an air duel it was
claimed