Evening star., 1942-12-28
Two Towns Captured,
Bringing Huge Units
Near Junction
BY EDDY GILMORE,

Associated Press War Correspondent.
MOSCOW, Dec. 28.-Russian
troops advancing southwark in
the middle Don sector were re-
ported only As miles from those
striking southwestward from
Stalingrad today, and thus a
second Russian trap threatened
German forces in the Stalingrad
area.
; Should these two huge forces join
somewhere on the Lower Don--and
the Soviet communique reported
they were moving forward-the
strong German forces at Kotelnikov-
sski in the Upper Causasus also
would be in great peril
The capture of Biriukov by the
Red forces southwest of Stalingrad
and the seizure of Solonetzky north
east of Biriukov by the armies of
the Middle Don brought the two
massive forces near junction.
Biriukov, in the southeast corner
of the Don elbow, is about % miles
northeast of Tsimlyansk, where the
Germans first crossed the Don last
summer and developed their attack
along the Novorossisk- -Stalingrad
railway up past Kotelnik6vski to
Stalingrad.
Solonetzky is northeast of Biriukov
and it was the capture of this village
which put at least the advance
fNrcnc nf thn tryn y,oi1oc
apart.
Pursue Every Advantage.
The Russian armies, engaged in
four winter offensives, were pursu-
ing every advantage night and day
while Russian dispatches pictured
the Germans as wasting hundreds
of lives in fruitless counterattackS
at some points and abandoning
great stores of equipment in their
haste to retreat at others.
The Russians had captured Tat
sinskaya, so miles east of Likhaya
on the Stalingrad-Likhaya railway,
and in that position they were only
30 miles from Rostov.
The British radio reported
that the Russians were within 80
miles of RostovD
BY capture of TatSinskaya the
Russians were in control of virtu-
ally all the 229-mile railway between
Stalingrad and Likhaya, and they
were close to large coal fields in
the region.
100000 NaZiS Trapped.
With bitter, chilling east wind
behind them the Russians continued
to drive on southwest of Stalingrad.
where earlier today they had been
reported only 20 miles north of
Kotelnikovski. Some 100000 Ger
mans were reported trapped in the
Volga-Don river area by this drive
and another northwest of the
Stalingrad.
Six hundred Germans were slain
as the Russians fought through
the night here, repelling a bitter
German counterattack, the midday
communique said.
In the middle Don offensive, where
the Russians are pressing into the
Ukraine and plunging down toward
Rostov, a German stronghold was
reported taken and 600 Germans
killed in only two sectors. Large
quantities Of equipment and food
stores were also seized in this area,
the communique reported.
Grated Planes Found.
Almost all of the angle east of
the Moscow -Rostov railroad and
north of the Likhaya -Stalingrad line
Is now in Russian hands.
The offensive was reaching so
deeply into the German rear that
Grated planes were being found at
railroad stations like Tatsinskaya,
= 1t was reported. A large sum of
. German and Soviet currency was
seized In bank at Voloshino, west
. OF Mlllerovo, together with a ware
house full of grain and many auto
mobiles, dispatches from the front
r said.
The capture of Rostov would isolate
= the German armies in the Caucasus
and leave them only the Black Sea
r as a supply route or means of evac-
, uation. The Russians have reported
. the death or capture of approxi-
mately 10000 Germans in this Mid
die Don offensive.
More Areas Taken.
In the Velikie Luki region of the
central front west of Moscow, the
communique said, four more popu-
lated communities were taken by
the advancing Red Army. The Rus
SLAMS are approximately 80 miles
from the Latvian border in this re-
>gion.
- THE German command is throw
7ing its soldiers into fruitless counter
attacks the communique said of
the fighting on this front
= Yesterday the Hitlerites counter
attacked one unit seven times. Losing
: 300 enemy officers and men and
athree tanks, the enemy retreated to
&, his original position"
In the Caucasian foothills south
east of Nalchik the Germans were
reported thrown from several domi-
, mating hill positions. A large viii
= lage also was taken after a fierce
. battle, the communique said.
e. Heavy German Losses.
The Germans are suffering heavy
losses" it added. In fighting for
one height alone Red Army men
of one unit wiped out 400 officers
and men. War material and pris-
, oners were captured"
The fighting inside Stalingrad
continued despite the peril con-
fronting the German forces there
and the Russians said they cap
tured several enemy blockhouses
and dugouts in the factory district
of the city.
o.
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