Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-03-21
Soviets Gain in Smo|ensk Drive
Hold Off Nazis Below Kharkov;
Patton Tightens Grip on Gafsa
Axis Claims Fall
Of Chuguev and
Sevsk in South
By the Associated Press.


Russian troops scored new
gains and captured several To-
calities in the drive on Smolensk
the Soviet midnight communique
reported today, while other Red
Army units held firm along the
Donets River below Kharkov
killing 800 Germans and smash
ing Is tanks.
The Germans claimed the capture
of Chuguev, % miles southeast of
Kharkov and SevSk, ITO miles north
west, but there was no conflrmat ton
Of this in the Russian communicate.
German tanks which attempted
to break into a populated place in
the Chuguev sector were reported
by the Russians to have struck our
minefield and we're blown up"
Reds Gain in North.
Moscows version indicated the
Red Army is holding its southern
lines in spite of repeated attacks by
the reinforced Germans and con-
tinuing to gain in the center and
northwest toward Staraya Russo
A total of approximately 1920
Germans were killed during yester-
days operations, the Soviet noon
and midnight communicates said.
Marshal Semeon Tlmoshenko's
forces converging on Staraya Russo,
Nazi 10th Army headquarters south
of Lake linen, occupied a strongly
fortified enemy position and cap
tured four guns, seven mortars and
Is machinegunS. The noon bulletin
= also had told Of street fighting i'll
one large locality in which $50 Ger
mans we're killed.
This suggested the Russians were
edging closer to Staraya Russo, be-
cause a week ago they were reported
within Is miles of that important
Nazi base.
In this area two Nazi platoons
were reported slain in grim hand
to-hand struggle.
Rail Junction Menaced.
On the central front Russian dis
patches indicated that Durovo, rail-
way junction on the WANNA
Smolensk Railway, now was men
aced by the Red Army driving
from the east. The Russians were
said to have cleared the banks of
the upper Dnieper River from its
headquarters to the railroad, and
the Dnieper crosses that line less
than 10 miles east of Durovo.
Another Russian column pushing
down from Belly also is a threat to
Durovo. which is only 60 miles from
Smolensk.
The midnight communique said
number of unidentified planes fell
to these Russian center armies. One
formation wiped out 400 Germans in
breaking through prepared Nazi po-
sitions, and although the Nazis were
communicating frequently ell these
efforts were smashed, Moscow said.
One Russian unit was said to have
outflanked stronghold, forcing the
Germans to flee and leave five guns
and 20 trucks.
Our men pursued the enemy"
said the communique. and wiped
out about 300 officers and men.
Prisoners and a large quantity Of
arms were captured"
Air War Quickens.
The air war was quickening on
the two fronts west of Moscow now
that ground troops found the ter
rain turning TO mud.
Eight Soviet fighters were said
to have shot down seven of 20
German planes attempting to bomb
Russian troops during the day with
out losing one of their planes, and
the communique said the Red air
men on Friday had destroyed or
damaged score of German tanks
more than $50 ammunition dumps
and two enemy trains also were
reported blown up and smashed.
The Russians admittedly were
fighting desperately to hold theil
positions in southern Russia, but
there was no indication that their
main Donets River line was broken
Berlin radio commentator ac-
knowledged that the Russians still
held positions on the western bank
of that river,
The German high command
claimed that $4,000 Russians hac
been killed and 1884 captured il
the southern campaign since Feb.
ruary l3, and that 1872 guns, l,41(
tanks and 345 heavy cannon hac
been destroyed or captured.
No mention of German losses wa
given, although the Berlin radio
recently promised that figure wa:
TO be released soon.
The Germans also told of con
tinuing gains northwest of kursl
and around Belgorod, The Russian!
never have confirmed a German
tSee RUSSIA, Page Alb