Evening star., 1942-02-13
White Russia Reached
In Winter Campaign,
Soviets Declare
Five German Transports
Declared Sunk by
Subs in Arctic
Nv EDDY GILMORE,

Associated Press war Cotresponoent'
MOSCOW, Feb. 13.-The Red
Army's far-ranging ski troops
have knitted through German
lines into White Russia, which
lies next to the old frontier with
Poland, a dispatch said today,
while in the Arctic submarines
of the Northern Red Fleet re-
ported sinking flve German
transports, a tanker and a
traWler.
The dispatch from the western
front announcing the penetration
of White Russia, one OF the Social
ist Soviet Republics long in German
hands, specified neither the position
nor the strength of the operation.
Indications were that it was patrol
action on large scale.
Ski soldiers, who maneuvered
across heavy SHOWS, were aided by
guerrillas and probably by parachute
troops in the thrust to win back
White Russia and wipe out Ger
man communication lines across It..
Where the entry was made was not
specified, but it could have been ac-
compished by advance units Oper-
ating both above and below Smo-
lensk, key German base on the
Dnieper River 230 miles west of
Moscow.
(Before Soviet authorities
closed down recently on the an
nouncement Of specific gains in
the offensive, Red Army spear
heads were reported operating
from Toropets, about IS miles
above the northern tip OF White
Russia, and Soviet troops were
massing in the Kirov area. 80
miles from its eastern border.
The Dnieper flows through east
ern areas Of the republic)
White Russia is a Republic Of the
u. s. s. r. north of the Ukraine and,
with the Ukraine, suffered heavily in
fighting incident to the German
drive to the east last summer.
Russians Capture Hill.
Russians reported Soviet marines
had captured strongly-fortified hill
in the three month -old battle Of
Sevastopol. the main part OF the
Crimea.
A dispatch to the government
newspaper Izvestia said a battalion
OF the 121st German Infantry Regi-
ment was dispersed in a victorious
drive by sea soldiers Of the Red
fleet to seize emplacements high
above Sevastopol.
This Russian seizure OF the
initiative on the western coast OF
the Black Sea peninsula COIN
cided with German air raids on
the Kerch area to the east, in
dicating the Red Army again
might be massing men and sup
plies for a renewal of the once
frustrated attempt to drive out
the invading units in between.)
Again the Soviet Information Bu-
reau reported the occupation Of "sev-
eral populated places" without NAM
ing them.
A newspaper dispatch yesterday,
however, indicated the Russians had
recaptured Borok. a railroad village
on Lake linen 100 miles below Len
ingrad and 110 miles east OF the Es-
tonian frontier.
Belief that, behind the screen OF
relative secrecy, the Red Army has
launched new operations intended
to batter down German positions
before the arrival of spring was ex-
pressed by foreign military observ-
ers in Moscow
Worst Of Winter Past.
Even In the north, they said. the
worst of the winter weather harrass-
ing the poorly acclimated invaders
probably has passed.
German troops are suffering
heavy losses in materials and par
ticularly in manpower," commu-
nique declared.
Death of Gen. Zentner, de-
scribed as the commander Of q
German infantry division, was
reported without details by the