Evening star., 1942-01-13
Russian Infantry
And Tanks Reported
Storming 0rel
Soviet Troops Reported
To Have opposed
Strategic Town
~ the Associ q ted Press.

Strategic Town
~ the Associated Press.
LONDON. Jan. 13.-Waves Of
crack Russian troops. paced by tank
and motorized infantry vanguards,
were reported storming Orel today
ss the Red Army pressed against
the sagging NaI lines on three main
Soviet fronts.
Russian sources said Orel, 200
miles south Of Moscow and one Of
the key outposts in the Soviet capi-
tails defenses. already was by passed
and flanked.
(The B. B. G., heard In New
York by N. B. c.. said 1t under
stood unofncially that Orel al
ready has been retaken)
The Soviet command was said to
have called on a new shock army.
backed up by ski troopers and cav
airy, to take Orel and thus secure 4
base for the still broader offensive
aimed at rolling back the German
line toward Bryansk, about 80 miles
northwest.
Bryansk is at the southern end of
the Nazi north-south line from
Rzhev directly west of Moscow.
This new Red Army attacking
force is formed OF units called
guards formations"-which means
they are veterans who have won the
right to the honor of q guards"
designation by their fighting records.
Progress Good Elsewhere.
Besides the front south Of Moscow.
authoritative sources called the Red
Army progress good also before
Leningrad and in the Crimea.
Strong Soviet attacks were said to
have been launched in the north
just below Lake linen, apparently
aimed at trapping large German
forces outside Leningrad.
Another Russian encirclement ap-
parently was taking shape north Of
Lake linen, around German forces
between the Stain Canal northeast
OF Leningrad and Volkhovo, 80 miles
to the southeast.
A German version Of the Crimean
fighting called 1t minor operations"
but acknowledged that a new Soviet
landing had taken place Sunday on
the south coast OF the Black Sea
peninsula. 1t said this attempt was
beaten of.
In the Crimea. as on the main
land, the Russians apparently were
attempting to keep the Germans on
the move, giving them no respite
they might use to entrench them
selves and hold q solid line. Reports
from Russia said Soviet planes were
creating havoc among the retreat
ing Nazis by blowing up bridges and
bombing road concentrations and
supplies.
Orel Virtually Encircled.
The Russian midday communique
reported that a tank unit in an
unidentified sector Of the western
front surrounded a large populated
place and annihilated one battalion
Of enemy infantry-about 600 men.
On another sector Of the frent. the
announcement sSaid, Russians sur
rounded and destroyed two infantry
companies.
Reports from Vichy. France. sug-
gested that Soviet columns moving
northwest from Kaluga, 10 miles
southwest Of Moscow. were more
than half way on their 90-mile
fighting trek to Vyazma, on the
Moscow -Smolensk road.
The Exchange Telegraph Agency
attributed to IAN unqueStionable
source" in Berlin a declaration from
Switzerland that Adolf Hitler had
moved his field headquarters from
Smolensk to an unidentified city in
South Russia.
A German regiment newly rushed
from France, q unit of the 2l6th
Division. was reported by the Mos
COW radio to have been smashed In
the vicinity of recaptured Mosalsk
in one phase Of the central front
offensive threatening q 140-mile sec
tor of the German front between
Vyazma and Bryansk.
The Soviet Information Bureau
said Red Army troops advanced on
a number of sectors yesterday and
after fierce fighting took place took
several inhabited localities"