Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-06
More Towns Fall:
Russians Press On
Along Wide Front
BY HENRY c. CASSIDY,

MOSCOW, Jan. g. The Ger
man Army was reported in full
retreat in the Caucasus today,
blowing up bridges and mining
roads in a desperate effort to
check the surging advance of
Russian forces driving hard at its
heels.
Red Star, organ of the Soviet
Army, said Russian forces continued
their sweeping advance along a wide
front. winning back large number
of additional towns.
The entire province of North
Osetia, lying between Ordzhonikidze
and Nalchik, had been won back
under the Red banner by Soviet
forces operating along the west bank
of the Terek River. while other Rus
sian troops rolled the Germans back
to the north. Red Star asserted.
Overrun Tsimlyansk.
To the north. along the Lower
Don. the Russians were reported
fighting forward after overrunnin2
the important Nazi bridgehead town
of Tsimlyansk and thus driving
second spearhead within 125 miles
of Rostov, whose fall might doom
the entire German force in the
Caucasus.
The first spearhead was thrust
earlier southwest of Kamensk to a
point about 100 miles northwest Of
the great Don mouth port of Rostov.
(Reuters. British news agency,
estimated in London that more
than a half million of Adolf
Hitler's finest troops were in full
retreat in the Caucasus and the
Middle DOM
Red Star said the main line OF
German Notifications at the eastern
end of the Caucasus front was
shattered Monday when the Rus
slams stormed the approaches to
Nalchik and occupied the city after
q terrific street battle.
Soviet troops were said to have
pursued the Germans northWard
from this sector across a western
branch of the Terek River. In IL
mile final thrust yesterday, Red Star
said. the Russians drove into and
captured the town of Prokhladnen-
ski, 80 miles northeast of Nalchik.
Junction of Railroad.
Prokhlad is the iuncture
where the trunk line Caucasus rail-
road from Rostov to the Baku Oil
fields meets a branch line running
south to Ordzhonikidze.
Still other forces rolled the Ger
mans back to the west at an accel-
Grated rate. with tanks and infantry
overwhelming enemy centers OF re-
sistance, the army newspaper re-
ported.
Don Cossack guardists, swinging
their sabers in mounted action and
then dismounting for action with
modern automatic weapons, were re
ported playing an epic part in the
Caucasus campaign.
Izvestia, the government news
paper. said the cavalry raided Ger
man TANKS, slashed through to the
rear and stormed enemy defenses in
attacks leading to the recapture of
Mozdok Monday.
Izvestia said the Germans hurled
tanks against the horsemen, but the
CoSsacks withstood the counter
attacks. outmaneuvered the heavy
machines and charged on over the
Nazi positions.
Triumphant Communique.
The fall of Tsimlyansk was an
nounced in a triumphant special
Russian communique which de-
clared that five other important
towns on the lower Don and the
Caucasus fronts had been won back
under the Red banner.
The Germans were said to have
lost more than 1000 men in the
Caucasus between December "a and
January 4.
Reported recaptured, along with
strategically important Tslmlyanck,
were the nearby rail juncture OF
Morozovskaya. great Russian cham
payne producing center. and the
Caucasus towns of Nalchik, Prokh-
ladnenski, Kotlyarevskaya and
Maiskoye, where the Germans were
rolled steadily back from their deep
est gains toward the Grozny OIL
fields and the mountain passes to
Ordzhonikidze and the south.
Nalchik was the last major OBJ
iective taken by the Germans in
their 1912 drive for Caucasian oil.
They approached the city October
% and occupied it November 2.