Evening star., 1943-02-15
Soviets Press On
After Capture
OF Rostov
BY EDDY GILMORE,


MOSCOW, Feb. 15.-Rostov fell
before Red Army infantry and
swarming Cossacks in bloody
struggle yesterday, some of its
buildings ablaze and hundreds of
its German defenders dead in
streets and alleys where they at
tempted to hold the city, dis
patches from the front said to-
day.
CThe British radio said Tagan-
rog, 40 miles west of Rostov on
the Sea of Azov, already was
under Russian artillery fire and
that the bulk of the Germans
trying to flee from the rich
Donets Basin had been trapped.
1t did not bring out whether the
Soviet guns were those of bat
teries stationed on the recap
tured southern shore of the
Taganrog Gulf or from spear
head which had lanced down
through the UKRAINE
The Soviet armies of the southern
front also took Voroshilovgrad, q
prime industrial city in the Donets
Basin, and Krasny Sulin, about 81
miles north of Rostov.
Today the Germans were des-
perately trying to form line t,
hold of the powerful Red Army
push driving west in the fury of a
snowstorm in an attempt to slash
in many directions at the retreating
Germans in the Donets Basin, the
Russians said.
Kharkov Assault Continues.
Dispatches also reported that the
assault on Kharkov, Ukraine capital
continued along an arc bowed about
the city, with one column last re-
ported within 7 miles of the strong
ly-fortifled German stronghold.
1t was said in Moscow that the
Red Army was driving with such
steamroller force that great events
may be expected shortly.
fThe German high command
communique broadcast from Ber-
lin acknowledged the fall of both
Rostov and Voroshilovgrad and
reported fresh Russian troops
had been thrown into the con-
flict. These fresh units are at
tempting to score decisive sue
cess" through piercing and en-
clrcling maneuvers, said the
communique, recorded by the
Associated Press. 1t declared,
however, that the Germans were
communicating strongly and
inf1icting heavy losses on the Red
Army
A dispatch to Pravaoa, the Com
munist Party newspaper here, said
powerfully equipped reserves and
tank forces had been ordered by
Hitler to die rather than to retreat
from Rostov, and that numerous
Cossack towns in Rostov's suburbs
were the scenes of bloody battles
that progressed from yard to yard
and from house to house.
The first attack on the city itself
came from troops in Azov, on the
southern bank of the Don River
Pravda said. After the last resist
ance was smashed there, the Red
Army men made several crossings
of the river.
Strike From Southwest.
Cossacks, slashing with their
sabers and charging with rapid
fire rifles. struck from the south
west and the dispatch said hun
oreds OF Germans lost their lives
as they were cut down by these
fighters.
Within the city, Pravda reported
the Germans directed streams OF
machine-gun and rapid rifle fire
from yards, from behind walls and
trees, from rooftops and attics
but the Russians poured in more
and more troops to force them out
OF their positions.
Many buildings and houses in the
city were said to have been de-
stroyed. Some were still burning
but the populace, which had seer
the city change hands four times
appeared in a joyous welcome for
the Red Army.
The Red Army men charging
down Friedrich Engels street-a
modern thoroughfare running east
and west through the heart of Ros-
tov-found German poster which
read: DO not believe rumors. We
will not leave Rostov."
The Sunday successes of the Red
Army were hailed here as the most
sensational single days offensive in
the history of the war.
A single railroad leads Westward
from RoStov to Taganrog then turns
northWard toward Kiev. through ar
area made precarious for the Ger
mans by the operations of advanced
Russian units.
Push Back Enemy.
SOs4CI tiooJS dDCut LlhIldyd, &c
miles southeast of VoroShilovgrad
further pushed back German force;
who now are threatened also by
southwark moving forces.
Rcstov, once a city of a hall
million that handled the Caucasus
oil, the Donets Basin minerals anc
the Ukraine'S farm produce through
its markets, was twice taken by the
Germans, the first time on Novem-
Der 2l, l94l. A week after that
however, a citizens army, which
included children. helped Russian
troops drive them out of the city.
The German offensive of 1912 saw
Rostov fall again to the invaders
on July "a, and from there They
drove deep into the Caucasus while
armies to the northeast pushed tc
Stahngrad-and ultimate disaster
for Axis arms.
The Russians had moved out OF
Voroshilovgrad last July 10 to pre-.
(See RUSSIA. Page A-l2)