Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-02-08
Russians She'll German Positions
As Battle for Rostov Is Opened;
Reds Advance on 500-MiIe Front
Seizure Of Azov Makes
lorge-ScoIe Attack on
Key Port Possible
BY the Associated Press,

Lie neO ARMY SeHt SIlclls
screaming across the Don River
into German positions in Rostoy
today, Russian dispatches re-
ported, as the fourth battle fol
this important city opened, while
masses of Russian troops bat
tered their way toward the main
German defenses in Southern
Russia on a 500-mile front.
Russian forces yesterday seized the
town of Azov, Is miles southwest Of
Rostov, freeing the left bank of the
Don Of the last center Of German
resistance and making large-scale
assault on Rostov possible, a special
communique at Moscow announced
Meanwhile, to the north, Russian
troops continued to clear great areas
Of Russian soil of the invader and
threaten the great German bastions
Of Orel, Kursk and Kharkov, Russian
communicates said. The railroad be-
tween Rostov and Kharkov was cut
with the capture of Kramatorskaya
and the line between Belgorod and
Kursk was snapped with the cap
ture OF Gosteschevo, the Russians
announced.
Another Center Captured.
Savitsi. another railway center on
q smaller line between Kharkov and
Slavyansk, also was seized as the
army of Col. Gen. Nicolai F. Vatutin
surged forward in move apparently
designed to isolate both Rostov and
kharkov.
The Germans were reported rush.
ing thousands of reserves into the
breaches in their lines in an effort
to stem the Soviet flood, but dis
patches indicated the giant Russian
offensive was crllnching forward
with unprecedented speed for a
winter campaign.
The German high command as
serted that "in the estuary area of
the Don as well as in the great
Donets bend the day Sunday was
generally quiet" apparently trying
to minimize the threat to Rostov.
It's communique reported that a
Russian regiment which crossed the
Donets at dawn was annihilated by
. German counterattack.
Fierce Russian attacks in which
strong tank forces were employed
were reported by the Germans In
the middle Donets sector and west
Of the Oskol River, the area east
Of Kursk and Kharkov.
Stubborn Resistance.
The midday communiQue as re-
corded by the Soviet radio monitor
in London said the Germans were
resisting stubbornly in the region of
KrAmatorskaya, reported captured
by the Russians last night. Eleven
German tanks were reported dis
abled there and in a nearby sector,
the communique said, the Russians
broke through to the rear Of the
German defenders, routing enemy
infantry forces.
West OF Kupyansk, where the
Russians are surging toward Khar-
kov, 400 Germans were reported
killed. A large populated place in
this region was said to have been
recaptured and company Of Ger
man infantry wiped out.
North of Kursk, too, the Soviet
offensive was said to be maintaining
its momentum, with a number of
new communities recaptured by the
Russians, 400 Germans killed and
many guns and materiel captured.
The German forces seeking to hold
Rostov against the Russian troops
pressing at the gates attempted to
regain lost positions south Of the
city, but were met by whitening fire.
The midday communique said 1.-The
enemy has hurled back, abandoning
many officers and men killed on the
battlefield"
Guns on City for Second Time.
The Russians were turning their
guns on Rostov for the second time
since the Germans first captured
the city on November %, l94l, at
the peak of their invasion thrust.
The Germans held the city only
. week on that occasion. The Rus
SLAMS withdrew across the Don, re-
grouped and reinforced their armies
and stormed back into the city No
vember 20.
The Germans withdrew along the
north shore of the Sea of Azov, but
returned with overwhelming power
in the 1912 summer offensive and
recaptured Rostov on July %. A
large part Of the city is believed to
be intact since the earlier Rostov
battles were comparatively short
Now the Russians are battering at
the gates for the second time.
The speed of the Russian offensive
presented the possibility that Gen
Vatutin's army might attempt tc
smash southwark from the Krama-
torskaya region to the Sea of Azo,
and trap thousands of Nazi troops
behind Rostov.
Nazis in Great Peril.
The German forces still remain
ing in the Caucasus were in grea
peril. The Red Army already ha
pocketed one group between Azo,
and Yeisk and the only salvation
for the large forces in the Kras
nodar and Novorossisk areas i
evacuation Dy sea across tne herCf
Straits.
The Russian Black Sea feet ha.
been reported on the alert for thi
contingency.
The German radio said. however
that "the evacuation OF the Kubal
region between the Rostov ant
Taman peninsula bridgeheads wa,
carried out without enemy pres
sure" and all war materiel was re-
moved or destroyed
Far to the north. the town O
Fatezh between Kursk and Orel wa
announced recaptured by the Rus
slams. who thus cut the road between
the two important German defens
centers.