Evening star., 1942-03-01
Russians Block Nazis'
Attempts 10 Send
Fresh Troops by Air
Occupation of Number Of
Localities in Several
Areas Also Reported
BY the Associated Press.

tnSfOSo", HCbs GO.-ACSRCIdIC
Nazi attempts to save the trapped
18th Army by rushing up air-fer-
ried reinforcements drawn from the
spring offensive reserve have been
frustrated by Russian anti-aircraft
gunners and fighter planes, dis
patches from the Staraya Russia
front declared tonight.
They reported shooting down big
German supply and troop planes
and capturing prisoners who said
they were sent to the front from
camps in Germany where they were
being trained for the spring drive.
Though 1t did not specify that
they were transport planes, the mid
night Soviet communique listed SO
Nazi aircraft as destroyed yester-
day-l5 in air fights, three by anti
aircraft and 20 on the ground
Seven more were said to have been
shot down near Moscow today.
The communique also reported
the occupation of "a number OF To-
calities" in several sectors, and the
sinking of German transport by
Soviet submarines in the Barents
Sea, on the Arctic front.
Raid I'm Southern Sector.
On the Sea of Azov, the extreme
southern end of the front extending
from the Arctic, a supplement to
the communique said Red marine
and infantry units raided an i'm
portant sector occupied by the
enemy and destroyed two artillery
batteries, two mortar batteries, two
machine gun nests and powerful
radio stations"
1t added that on one sector of the
Leningrad front, Russian units oc-
cupied a number of strongly forti-
fed German positions and captured
13 machine guns, four mortars and
127 900 rounds of ammunition. Two
hundred enemy officers and men
were killed in the action, it said.
Southwest of Moscow, on the
front extending through the Donets
basin and into the Crimea the Ger
mans were reported laShing out
flercely in counterattacks possibly
intended to divert the strong Rus
sian pressure in the northwest.
The Red Army acknowledged that
at one place on the southern front
the Germans drove wedge four
miles wide and six miles deep into
the Russian line, but said Rus
sian conference.-the Strengthened
the front and wiped out the assault
force.
800 Die In One Day.
On another part of the same front
900 Germans were reported killed
in q one-day fight.
On the southwestern front the
Germans were said to have at
tempted six successive counter
attacks. These were reported beaten
back with heavy losses to the Ger
mans.
Dispatches from the central front
west of Moscow also mentioned Ger
man counter -thrusts, but said they
failed and that the Germans left
$50 dead on a single battlefield.
The Red Army reported success
full use of tanks despite snow-cov-
cred fields. Red Star, mouthpiece
of the army, predicted that Rus
sia's growing tank strength would
be felt increasingly in the spring
battle.
Reports from the Staraya Russa
sector said the Russian troops,
closing tighter on $4,000 or more
encircled Germans, had routed the
defenders of "a large, geographic
ally important fortified settlement. "
Fail to Break Out Of Trap.
Increased activity by the trapped
German forces was reported, but
the Russians said all efforts to
break out of the encirclement had
failed and the Germans were being
broken down into smaller units to
be mopped up one by one.
To the north of the trap Russian
guerrillas were said to have en-
periled the German positions fur
ther by cutting communication
lines and taking an increasing toll
by sniping and night forays.
A dispatch from Leningrad said
the guerrillas had killed 10,480 Ger
mans, including two generals. in
six months. In addition, the dis
patch said, they destroyed TOO rail-
road cars, caused 81 train wrecks.
dynamited five railway bridges, and
took a heavy toll of German planes,
tanks and automobiles.
Red Star said the Germans were
losing men at the rate Of a million
a month, killed, captured and
wounded.