Evening star., 1943-02-05
Rail Escape Line Cut;
Rostov, Kursk and
Khorkov Threatened
MAP on Page A-5.)
BY EDDY GILMORE,

Associated Press War Correspondent
MOSCOW, Feb: 5.-The col
lapse of Adolf Hitler's Caucasian
forces apparently neared its final
phase today.
Dispatches said Red armies of the
south. slashing branch rail line
by which perhaps 100000 Germans
might have fled northWard from the
Krasnodar area, swept on toward
all objectives in steam-roller fash
ion, and others imminently threat
ened the cities of Rostov, Kursk
and Kharkov.
In the Caucasus the Soviets cut
of escape from Krasncdar over one
OF the three remaining rail exits by
capturing Starominskaya and Kan
evskaya. They lie north of Kras-
nodar on a branch line which links
the Rostov-Baku trunk and the
Azov Sea port of Yeisk.
From KanesSkaya they were re-
ported aiming southwark at Tina
shevskaya, only 36 miles above
Krasnodar and a junction from
which another railway branches
southwestward toward the Black
Sea and a connection with the only
other railroad remaining in the
hands of the invaders of the Cau-
casus, the Krasnodar-N -Novorossisk
line.
Gen. I. v. Tuleniev's command
executed these trusts which split
Germany's Caucasian armies. Main
tenance of the Russian pressure
would force the southern group to
attempt a "Dunkerque escape" at
Novorossisk or maneuver, without
benefit of rail facilities, across
herch Strait to the Crimea.
Nazis Rush Up Reserves.
Northward the Germans were re-
ported desperately rushing SQUAD
rons OF tanks and divisions of in
1antry reserves into battles raging
west and south of Krasny-Liman.
In breaking through to Krasny-
Liman the Red Army pushed deep
into the rich Ukraine to develop a
potential f1anking movement against
the important German stronpholds
OF Kharkov and Voroshilovprad
Soviet forces were well to the west
of the latter city.
The remainder of nine German
and Hungarian divisions sur
rounded west of Voronezh appeared
to be facing the fate of the Nazi
force that was encircled and anni-
hilated at Stalingrad The news
paper Pravda reported the trapped
forces were fighting in scattered
garrisons, with no communication
with one, another. The dead al
ready were reported to total 1900,
with 27,000 captured.
Directly east and north of Ros-
tov the Nazis were reported coun-
terattacking with abundant tanks
and motorized forces as they made
a supreme effort to hold the key
city where the Don empties into the
Sea OF Azov and thus retain a land
route of escape for their hard
pressed troops in the Caucasus.
Krasnodar in Peril.
The Germans now hold only the
northern edge of the Caucasus, on
line running up the Black Sea and
the Sea Of Azov coast from Novoros-
sisk to Rostov, with their deepest
point inland at Krasnodar. Kras-
nodar is reported threatened on
three sides and in imminent peril.
(The German high command
communique, broadcast by the
Berlin radio, reported that pow-
erful Soviet forces had attempted
to make landings at Novorossisk,
but had been frustrated. The
landing forces were encircled, the
Germans said, and faced destruc-
ton. Nineteen landing craft
were sunk, Berlin said
(The German communique also
reported strong enemy attacks
in the Don estuary region" indi-
eating the Red Army was near
Rostov)
One strongly fortified defense
line southeast of Rostov already has
been shattered, the Soviet midnight
war bulletin announced. This ap-
parently was about 30 miles south
east OF Rostov, at Kagalnitskaya.
One Russian army was only %
miles north of Kursk at Zolotukhino
and the announced capture of
Shchigry. 80 miles east, and Tim, AZ
miles southwest, put two more Red
Army pincers within reach of Kursk,
In the center of the battlefront
the Russians said they had killed
l,400 OF the enemy in mopping up
around Kupyansk and had straight
ened the line with the capture of
Dvurechnaya and Borovaya, thus
pushing wider front toward Khar-
kov, ancient capital of the Ukraine
and major industrial center.
1t was in the Caucasus, however,
that the threat of annihilation how
ered heaviest over major Axis
army.