Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-02-07
100000 Nazis Face 'Dunkerque'
In Caucasus Reds Near Rostov;
Eisenhower Allied Head in Africa
Russians Reach
Azov and Head for
kerch Straits
MAP on Page Az
p the Associated Press.

~ the Associated Press.
LONDON, Sunday. Feb. THE
Red Army stormed forward al
the last German defenses of Ros-
TOW south of the Don today anC
sent flying columns southwark
toward the Kerch Straits to cut
off the seward escape of large
Nazi Caucasian army already
virtually caught in Russian
moose by a lightning thrust tc
the Sea of Azov.
A special Russian communicate re-
corded last night by the Soviet mon
itor said the Russian forces reached
the Sea of Azov south of Rostov
cutting the Germans of in the eau
casus, and the regular communique
early today said columns were turn
ing south toward the Kerch Straits
Adolf Hitler thus was presented
with the task of eXtricating his
entire Caucasus force, estimated up
to 100000 men, in his first Dun
kerque after his disaster OF
Stalingrad.
At the same time, the communi-
que announced, the Red Army
surged to within five miles of Ros-
tov from the south by the capture
of Bataisk and burst across the
Donets River in a sweep which
threatened not only the encircle-
ment of Rostov and the Donets min
ing basin but also the approaches
to the Crimea.
43 Miles From KhaIkOv.
In the latter thrust they came
within 43 miles of Kharkov, indus
trial capital of the Ukraine, with
the capture of Balakleya, on one Of
the railways radiating southeast Of
kharkov.
The Russians, in their drive to
the Sea of Azov south of Rostov,
announced they had captured Yeisk,
IS miles southwest of Rostov. port
and terminal of a branch railway
from the main Rostov-Baku line.
With all railways and roads in
their possession the Russians thus
had cut off the large German force
still holding Krasnodar and the
Black Sea naval base Of Novorosslsk
in the Caucasus after a retreat Of
375 miles from the high-water mark
of their invasion.
Escape by sea from Novorossisk or
across the Kerch Straits into the
Crimea were the only exits left TO
the Germans, and with the Russian
fleet still in the Black Sea it was a
question whether the German high
command had the naval facilities
to attempt an evacuation such as
saved the British army at bunker
que in 1910.
Other Districts Seized
Tanning out rapidly south and
southwest of Yeisk, other Russian
columns seized several more district
centers in spearpoints thruSting %
to 10 mics below that port. the mid
night communIque as recorded by the
Soviet monitor reported.
Yashenka and Kopanskava, only
five and ten miles from the coast
but 25 to 80 miles south Of Yeisk,
fell to the Russians, while another
column seized Pereyaslavaskaya, 70
miles southeast of Yeisk and only
IS miles directly north Of Krasno-
Oar. This meant the SoViets were
rapidly driving toward the kerch
Straits from the north and closing
of even this avenue Of German es-
cape.
In the Ukraine, the midnight
communicate told Of additional sue
cesses, with Soviet columns thrust
ing west and southwest of Starl
Oskol toward Belgorod and KursE
and between those two places.
The communicate reported cap
ture of Bolshay- TToitSk0ye which
is between Kursk and Kharkov. /
lies west of the main railroad con
Meeting those TWO German strong
holds, about 40 miles southeast o
Kursk and "a northwest Of KharkOv
German counterattacks were
beaten back. and hundreds Of NaZl
killed while many prisoners wer
taken and military equipment cap
tuued or destroyed, the midnigh
war bulletin declared.
The Russians also had cut of