The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-02-25
Close in on OreI, Gig Gers
man Base, Pushing
Ahead Steadily
FIRST SPRING THAWS
SLOW UP PROGRESS
Reds Deny German Claims
of 1S,2OO,OOO Russian
Casualties During War
BY HENRY SHAPIRO

Moscow, February rs. --
(UP) - Russian troops led
by American, British and big
Kim oroshilov tanks cap.
tured several villages south
of Orel today and to the
southwest a strong German
defense line athwart the
outer approaches to Paltava
fell apart under Soviet blows.
Field dispatches said the
Americana tanks were giving
good account Of themselves along
side the 52-ton Kim Voroshilovs in
setting the pace for the closein on
Orel, German base at the junction
Of the central and southern fronts.
"a Stockholm dispatch credited
to Berlin said Soviet forces using
American-mad tanks exclusively
attacked German positions west OF
Moscow along the Smolensk high
way0
Reds On Initiative
Maintaining the initiative, the
Red army reported local gains south
Of Orel, west Of Kharkov in the
push against Poltava, southwest Of
Voroshilovgrad in the Donets Basin,
and west Of Krasnodar toward the
Sea of Azov.
The first thaws of approaching
spring impeded the campaign In this
! TTlr go Inc hut NRfaoia1 1ievAo tobias aaiA
the Russians smashed bitter n:sist-
ance. beat off counter-attacks and
continued on westward.
Aerial combat was mounting all
along the southern front. With bet
ter weather the Germans were re-
inforcing their air units and throw
ing strong fleets into the effort to
check the Soviet offensive.
Nazl Claim Denied
simultaneously with the high
commands announcement Of new
gains along the southern front, the
Soviet information bureau In a spe-
cial communique denied as an "un-
scrupulous fabrication" German
claims that the Red Army has lost
100000 men since the start Of
the war.
The Germans reached their as
Economical figures, the communi-
que said, only by CHASING as prison.
ers of war hundreds upon thou
sands of peaceful Soviet citizens"
whom they drove into slavery and
labor camps, and by discriminating
hundreds Of thousands others in
occupied areas.
Storming through the breach in
the Axis line before Poltava, Soviet
forces captured an inhabited local
ity and killed more than 200 Of the
enemy in street fighting, the high
commands midday communique
said.
200 Killed
Less than IL hours earlier, the
Russians captured another large To-
cality in the same general area,
there, too, killing 200 German off,
GERS and men in the streets.
The Red Army was battling to
capture Poltava, 80 miles west of
Kharkov, and reach the Dnieper, so
miles beyond, before thaw turns the
Russian plains into a sea of mud.
The thaw already had begun in
some sectors of the southern front.
A number of additional inhabited
points fell to the Russian forces adj
vancing from the south on Orel, at
the junction of the central ana
southern fronts, 200 miles north Of
KAGrkov. Flick S:cpGtc.:cc ccS6 :hc
Soviets were using large forces Of
British and American tanks.
In the Maloarchangelsk area Al
miles below Orel, the communique
said, the Russians captured IA guns,
several hundred rifles, 10000 rounds
of ammunition. SO trucks and 1862
carts loaded with supplies. In addi-
ton. 800 persons were killed and
As prisoners were taken In a two
day battle In one sector.
At the other end of the southern
front Soviet troops pushing along
the Sea Of Azov west of Rost0v
captured a height In a fierce night
engagement. killing 100 German Of
ficers and men.
(Narftr,,ad OVuIsDaoa A.