Evening star., 1943-08-12
Russia

tSOIll1llu6Q FROM flTSJ P90e,l
tanks, infantry, artillery and avia-
ton was an important factor in the
high-speed rush 10 envelop Kharkov
Red Star, Army newspa per, re-
ported.
Soviet infantry and artillery were
waging battle against Nazi strong
holds, while tank forces by-passed
garrison towns to sever communica-
tions and capture settlements in the
hills around the enemy bases.
20 More Villages Taken.
+ East of Kharkov, where Red Army
forces were fighting their way
tenaciously into the city's suburban
districts, the Germans were reported
telling cherry and apple trees to
construct pillboxes among the ruins
of the villages.
The drive on Bryansk from Orel
pressed forward through 10 more
villages yesterday and drew steadily
closer to the main objective. Despite
bad weather, squadrons of Russian
bombers rained destruction on the
retreating Germans.
One column was reported less than
40 miles from Bryansk after captur-
ing Alexeyevka. Two thousand pris-
oners were said to have been taken
by the Russians.
Numerous Counterattacks.
Two German armored trains op-
Grating on the railway east of Ka-
rachev we're assisting fresh German
tank and infantry units as they
made numerous counterattacks in
an effort to stem the Soviet drive.
GA British broadcast, recorded
by Obs, said the Russians were
less than II miles from Karachev,
advancing through deep mine
fields and meeting stubborn re-
siStance all the way"
The German high command
said the great defense battle"
was continuing in the Belgorod
area, without mentioning the
W lAlldlh hoF. dllu uGCldISu
Soviet attacks southwest of Orel
were frustrated. 1t said the Rus
slams lost l02 tanks in yesterdays
fighting.
Both the Nazi high command
and Transocean, German propa-
ganda agency, said heavy Rus
sian attacks continued south and
southwest of wanna on the
Smolensk front, an offensive not
yet even limited at in dispatches
from Moscow. Transocean con-
ceded that the Russians were
driving toward Kharkov, but
quoted Berlin military quarters
as saying the city was not yet
threatened
Gan Algiers broadcast recorded
in London by Reuters said Rus
sian troops were less than three
miles from Kharkov, and that at
some points fighting was going
on in the suburbs'D
Other Forces Threatened.
Yesterdays thrust toward the
Dnieper also threatened German
forces in the Donets Basin, where
large units of the Nazis are deployed
from 100 to 200 miles to the south
east. Carried further. the Soviet
advance would cut in behind these
forces to make their position un-
tenable.
German held railway stations,
trains and troop columns below
Kharkov were blasted by Soviet air
men, apparently in an attempt to
cut Off a retreat. A special Russian
communlque said Lozovaya, Barven-
koVa and other stations on the vital
kiev- v-Stalino line were bombed and
strafed
The Russian advance was nearest
Kharkov at the village of Cherkas-
skie Tishki, 72 miles to the north
east. Other Russian forces were
closing in from points u miles to
north, 80 miles to the west and %
miles to the southwest.
so Places Captured.
In frantic efforts to relieve the
city, the Nazis threw in several tank
divisions, the Moscow communique
said, but the Russians crashed
through, capturing so populated
places in 12-mile drive. In the
town of Akhtyrka, AZ miles south of
Sunny, 1000 Germans were killed
SO tanks demolished and 26O trucks
destroyed. Captured booty included
nearly 200 trucks.
Capture of Vodyanaya demoral-
ized the Germans, who fed in head
long retreat after fierce hand-to-
hand fighting.