The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-02-04
kussians Only "a
Miles From Rostov

CONTINUED
Reeisteflng gains Of from 2s TO
miles, the Russians put their
1efnmcst line more than 800
niles west OF Stalingrad where they
started their historic winter offen-
1--WE. Front dispatches reported they
were starting q scythe-lilEe sweep
#outhWcstwafd from the Kharkov.
Moscow railroad which they had cut
50 miles north Of the anchor-point
ok Kursk.
Last Railroad Cut
On the North Caucasus front the
Rnssians had cut the last railroad
~ which German army Of any
where from 100000 10 100000 men,
could escape through Rostov and
east Of the railroad they were only
81 miles southeast Of Rostov itself.
On the Kursk front they had cap.
ts1red Vosy, 80 miles north Of KurslE,
un the Kharkov-M Moscow line to
reach q point SO miles south Of Orel,
strongest German base In the area,
and had taken also the nearby town
% zolotukhino.
Attacking untiringly, the Russians
today reported the capture Of two
more large inhabited places with
ave field guns, IL machine guns and
D wireless transmitter In one Sec
cor.
IN Anotn, Russians threw q force
0f Germans into panic by the "a.
pidlty Of their advance and the
aerocity Of their attack, the noon
coinmunique said. Automatic rifle
men caught o column Of 600 Ger
mans marching toward q village.
The Germans retreated toward a1-
other. Russian machine gunners
met them, and the Germans broke.
More than 800 dropped their arms
and surrendered.
TO the south, where their advance
continued steadily after the cap
ture OF the railroad functions Of
Kupyarsk, 66 miles southeast Of
Kharkov, and Krasny Liman, 81
miles southeast Of Kharkov, the
Russians reported new gains today.
It was at Krasny Liman that the
Russians penetrated IS miles into
the Ukraine, cut another big rail-
road system and cut down into the
heart Of the immensely rich Donets
basin mining and manufacturing
area.
800 Germans Killed
The noon communicate said that
IA the Krasny Liman area one Rus
sian unit alone, In O fierce fight,
captured six more inhabited places,
nc one Of which 800 Germans were
killed, four tanks disabled and seven
Whippet tanks and three armored
cars captured.
South Of Rostov, the Germans
tried to stop the Russians by
counter attacking but all resistance
was smashed, the noon communique
Baid, and the advance continued.
In the area Of the Kushchevka
railroad station, whose capture yes
terday severed the last railroad ave-
nue. Of escape for the German Cau-
casus army, Russian troops routed
. battalion Of German motorized in.
fantry In one sector and wiped out
m entire group Of German tommy
gulanegS who tried to escape by driv-
ing through their lines. Two Ger
man tanks were disabled In this
fght.
So amazing was the pace Of the
offensive extending from north Of
Kursk to south Of Rostov that the
Russians changed the wording Of
the Introduction to their noon COM
zsarnique.
Instead Of reciting as usual, the
various fronts-west Of Voronezh,
southwest, south, north Caucasus,
etc.-today's communique said that
the Russians engaged In offensive
battles in the same directions" and
then mentioned specific areas, south
Of Rostov," "area Of Kushchevka,"
+area Of Krasny Liman."
Hundreds Of Germans were being
killed now In individual battles for
the towns and villages through
which the Russians were sweeping
on all fronts, and enormous stores
Of war materials Of all sorts were
falling into their hands.
Front dispatches revealed that for
its great breaks through In the
Ukraine, the high command had
carefully built up positions for
weeks.
The fall Of Voronezh and steady
advance on Kupyansk, to the south,
had permitted the Russians to
choose ground favorable for assault
and rapid developments Of breaks
) through.
1SO-N1ile Attack
Their present 180-mile attack
front extended from the railroad
north Of Kursk to O point 10 miles
east Of the Donets basin center Of
Voroshilovgrad, which seemed GER
tain to fall soon.
One dispatch revealed that the
Russians just northwest Of Voro-
shilovgrad were fighting for a cross
ing Of the Donets river.
BY capturing Krasny Liman the
Russians had taken the junction for
the great circular railroad which
connects the industrial cities of
Kramatorskaya, Proletarsk an d
AEtemovsk. From Krasny Liman,
smother line runs northwestward to
Kharkov.
The entire German army inside