Evening star., 1942-02-08
THE SUNDAY STAR WASHINGTON, D. G, FEBRUARY 6,
Harassed Nazi Armies
Increase Resistance
Before SmoIensk
Russians, However. Report
Continued Advance, With
More Villages Token

Continued Advance, With
More ViIIoges Token
MOSCOW, Feb. 7.-Harassed |
by Red Army raids as far as rs
miles behind their lines, the |
German armies before Smolensk |
were offering fierce resistance
today at the points where Adolf |
Hitler hopes to originate his
promised spring offensive.
Despite the stiffening Nazi op-
positien, marked by q thwarted
counterattack IT. one sector. to-
nights Soviet communique said Red
forces continued their advance dur
ing the day and occupied several
more villages. 1t listed 81 German
planes destroyed yesterday against
seven Soviet losses.
KeenIy aware Of the German de-
sign, the Russians are bent on al
lowing the Nazis no opportunity OF
making q stand in advantageously
fortified sectors which could. In
time, be strengthened.
Nazis Intensity Efforts.
In the last few days the Germans,
especially on the central front, have
intensified their efforts to halt their
retreat and have even started
counterattacks.
In the same period the Soviet
communicates have not announced
specifically or by name the recap
ture of any additional cities-a
policy which, in the circumstances.
is not inconsistent with past pro-
cedure.
Russian military spokesmen point
out that German loss Of Smolensk,
for one thing, would be major
military disaster at this point OF
Hitler's troublous Eastern campaign.
From the ancient capital OF Smo-
lensk province, high above the
Dnieper, German operational plans
are executed. Here Hitler set up his
headquarters when he assumed di-
rect command of his armies. The
city is aptly situated for the direc-
ton of the kind Of a campaign
which the Nazis have re-mapped:
ito destroy the Red Army and cap
ture Moscow"
Good Communications.
Smolensk possesses good means OF
communication in all directions,
especially along the railways, which
the Germans already have changed
from Russian to German gauge.
(Ofiicial secrecy about the posi-
ton Of the front east and north
| of Smolensk makes the size and
shape of the German central
front salient pretty much of a
mystery. The last official an
nouncements leave broad Ger
man wedge extending to a point
some $50 miles east of Smo-
lensk. but this wedge is sheared
of sharply to the north and
southeast, where the Russian
lines are within 80 or 80 miles
from the city in either direction.
aturday the Germans
claimed the encirclement and
annihilation of strong units Of
two Russian divisions, presum-
ably somewhere within this
salient.)
Front line dispatches stressed the
violence of the battles in the Smo-
lensk sector and the toughness of
the German resistance, but they
said the Red Army was smashing
the Nazi counterattacks and plowing
forward in the SHOWS.
German Air Force activity re-
mained at a winter high; From
Tuesday through Thursday, in
elusive, the Russians announced the
destruction of 1T German planes.
Caused Trouble to Nazis.
Typical of the tactics which are
complicating the German effort to
stand firm in the strategic center
Of their line is the story of Col s.
Biakov, whose units got Is miles in
the Nazi rear, tangled comunica-
tions. wrecked roads, attacked
transports. tore down telephone lines
and forced important changes In
the Nazi plans.
Trying to mass soldiers at the
front to meet the Red Army ad-
vances, the Germans had to with
draw in one sector about 100 men
to garrison villages far to the rear,
where the advanced Soviet unit had
killed close to 1,00s Nazis.
The Army newspaper Red Star
also told Of two heavy counter
attacks by fresh German reserve
troops on the central front: Both
of them repulsed by IN" detach-
ment in a strange night battle. in
which vast Russian tanks, pounding
through the snow, were Illuminated
time after time by yellow rockets
sent up by surprised Germans.
(The British radio broadcast
Moscow report Saturday night
that vast new Russian reserves
thrown into the battle on the
Leningrad front have liberated 20
more villages in the last two days
and in a single day killed 1900
Germans.
(This account, heard in New
York by C. B. S., said the Red
reinforcements launched a drive
to smash the German blockade
of the second Soviet city and al
ready have made big dents in the
Nazi siege lines)
Found 50 Bodies.
The big tanks ironed out one vii
lage and the next morning the Rus
slams found nine cannon, 81 mine
throwers, 400 pairs Of trousers and