Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-12-31
Entire Nozi Army in Caucasus
Menoced as Advancing Soviets
Close In on Capital Of Ko|myck
Reds Widening Wedge
Along Railroad in
KoteInikovski Area
By HENRY C. CASSIDY,

ASSOCldteC TTeSS war CORRESPONDENT.
MOSCOW, Dec. 31.-The Soviet
offensive southwest of Stalingrad
has burst deep into German de-
lenses, carrying Russian forces
to the approaches of Elisha, in
the heart of the Kalmyck steppe,
and menacing the entire Nazi
Army in the Caucasus, battle
front dispatches reported today.
The Russians were widening their
wedge along the railroad southwest
of Kotelnikovski and elsewhere were
reported continuing their gains
along the middle don and on the
snow piled battle front between Mos
COW and the Latvian border.
Threat to Elisha.
Elisha, capital of the Kalmyck
area, was threatened from the north
west, north and east with Russian
forces at one place within 10 miles
OF the town.
CThis was the first Russian
acknowledgment that the Ger
mans had captured Elisha in their
drive toward the Caspian Sea
late last fall Previously Moscow
had not disclosed the extent of
the penetration into the barren
Kalmyck. Elisha is 165 miles
south of Stalingrad, ITO miles
southeast of Kotelnikovski, and
ITS miles west of AstTakhan, at
the Volga Delta, on the Caspian
Sea-
Reports from this front, where
the Russians reported the capture
of 13 more villages, said Remontnoe,
40 miles northwest of Elisha, fell
after several hours of fighting. and
Triotskoe, 10 miles north of Elisha,
was seized in thrust so swift that
the Germans had no time to remove
their arms or ammunition.
The general lines of the drive
across the Kalmyck steppe indicat-
ed that the next major objective
may be Salsk, 10 miles southwest
of Kotelnikovski and 100 miles west
of Elisha.
NOulu Sut nan Lluc.
Occupation of Salsk would cut
rail line running northwest to Ros
tov-and that railway is one of the
lifelines of the German army in
the Caucasus.
Midway between Elisha and Salsk
is a 5O-mile long lake which would
be a major barrier during the spring
and summer but which is scant
obstacle in the winter when it is
frozen.
CThe Berlin radio broadcast a
Transocean account attempting
to minimize the Russian winter
offensive for the German people.
CThis Nazi version said that
ain the Steppe region south of
the Don it became necessary to
withdraw Systematically some of
our foremost strongpoints," and
tacitly acknowledged that size
able German forces on the Stall
ingrad front were operating far
in the rear of the Soviets." This
was as close as the Germans have
come to admitting that large
forces have been cut off and
pocketed.
(Transocean sought to develop
the idea that the Russian often
sive this winter was of less force
than that of last winter. 1t said
the Russian command this WIN
ter had been forced to restrict
its offensive to certain sectors.
actually this winter the Rus
slams are on the attack northwest
of Moscow in at least two sectors
of the central front, southwest
of Voronezh into the Ukraine, in
the Middle Don north of Rostov,
and on a wide front in the Cau-
casus. Last year the Russian
counterstrokes were delivered al
most entirely before Moscow and
in the Donets BaSin)
700 Germans Captured.
The nights fighting was reported
to have added another populated
place to II listed as captured yester-
day While the midday communi-
que did not name the scene of the
latest triumph it said that more
than 700 enemy officers and men
were taken prisoner along with guns
trucks and horses.
Soviet authorities declared that
pursuit of Axis troops retreating
south of Stalingrad continued, with
some German attachments attempt
ing to offer vain resistance.
Highlighting the Importance OF
the Russian drive toward Elisha anG
its threat to the German armies in
the Northern Caucasus was a dis
patch today to Pravda, Communist
Party newspaper, which told of spir-
tied action in the Western Caucasus
near Tuapse, Black Sea port.
Heavy German Toll.
Fighting in bad weather which
has seen roads and paths washed
away, the Russians have killed up
ward of 5000 German officers and
men northeast of Tuapse, the dis
patch said.
The latest communique, detailing
successes for the Red Army on all
fronts, told of fierce tank supported
Nazi counterattacks in the Middle
Don battles and of waves of Ger
mans thrown at the Russians as
many as 10 times in struggle west
Of Rzhev, on the central front.
In each case, the war bulletin
said, the attackers were forced to
retire with heavy losses. The Ger
mans lost 500 men in the battle
near Rzhev, it asserted.
(Hitler's field headquarters,