Evening star., 1943-03-01
Slight Enemy Gain Is Reported
In Bitter North Tunisio Bottle:
Reds Pushed Back, Nozis Claim
Russian Forces Hurled
Across Donets River,
Germans Declare

AAS SAAldll 1li6Il COlllllldllU, III
communique broadcast by the
Berlin radio and recorded by the
Associated Press, reported today
that Russian forces had been
thrown back across the Donets
River in the Izyum area some 10
miles southeast of Kharkov.
Divisions of striking forces threw
the enemy, who persisted stubborn
ly. across the Donets," the war
bulletin said.
TO the south, in the Mus River
sector west of Rostov, the Germans
said the Russians started to attack
on wide front after heavy artillery
preparation but were crushed bv
defensive fire in front of the main
line"
Earlier the Russians reported that
the Red Army was continuing to
grind forward west OF Kharkov to-
ward the rail junction of Poltava
and the Dnieper River.
Russian troops threw back a
counterattack launched by the Ger
mans southwest of Voroshilovgrad
and, pursuing the retreating Nazis,
captured another populated place
and took about 100 prisoners, the
Soviet midday communique said.
The communique, recorded by the
Soviet monitor in London "a hours
after the Germans announced the
capture OF Kramatorsk and Lozovaya
on the edge OF the Donets Basin,
made no mention OF the fighting in
this area, although the midnight
communique had reported serious
counterattacks" there.
More Communities Taken.
The midday bulletin announced.
however. that the Germans had
been driven from more communities
west of Kharkov and Kursk and said
In the fighting for one of these
places two companies of enemy in
fantry were routed. War material
and prisoners also were taken.
In one sector west of Kursk the
Germans counterattacked, but were
repulsed and withdrew from the bat
tlefield, leaving 200 dead, it was
announced. In one sector five ar
tillery dumps and about 500 tons
OF grain were captured.
The earlier German communioue.
as broadcast by the Berlin radio, said
Kramatorsk and Lozovaya were
taken by storm and particularly
high losses in men and material
were inflicted on the enemy" Some
units OF the Russian Army have
been enveloped and are "gradually
being destroyed" the German COM
munique said.
Germans Counterattack.
The Russians midnight COM
munique said that in the Krama-
torsk area, about 60 miles east of
Lozovaya, Russian forces were en-
gagged In repelling serious counter
attacks by enemy tanks and mobile
infantry"
I'm one sector" the communique
said, "flve consecutive counter
attacks were repelled and eight
enemy tanks were destroyed. On
another sector fighting went on all
day for positions in front Of, one
inhabited locality which changed
hands several times. BY the erd of
the day Soviet troops had firmly
established themselves in tie in
habited locality"
The Germans left 500 dead on
the field of battle in this sector and
80 tanks and a large number of
other vehicles were smashed, the
Russians said.
Both Are Rail Towns.
Lozovaya, recaptured by the Rus
slams February IL, is about IS miles
south of Kharkov and is an impor-
tant railway junction. Kramatorsk,
ITO miles southeast Of Kharkov. also
Is railroad town.
The Germans claimed that $4,000
Russians were killed in the fight
ing for the two towns between Feb
ruary 20 and Is and that several
thousand prisoners were taken.
Large quantities of Russian equip
ment, including 464 tanks and 6O6
guns, were captured or destroyed in
the battle, the Germans said.
The Soviet midnight bulletin said
two large populated places had been
captured by the Red Army west of
Kharkov and that an ordnance ar
senal fell into Russian hands. A
battalion OF German infantry was
reported almost entirely wiped out.