Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-12-05
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another offensive was launched against
the Rzhev-Vyazma rail line to be fol-
lowed few days later still further west
by drive for Velikie Luke. This drive
met with success quickly when the Reds
moved into the city on January and
pushed on to point about 80 miles from
the Latvian border. -
Toward the end Of the month, tho
Reds sprang their third general often
sive, moving forward from Voronezh, on
the central front, toward the Donets
Basin with its rich mineral deposits.
BY the first OF the year. the Reds had
moved we'll into the Ukraine and were
only los miles from Rostov after elimi-
mating 10000 Germans. About 800 900
Nazis were also trapped by two Red
forces moving down from Stalingrad and
the Don, which were only As miles apart.
Fall Back in Caucasus.
While various Russian columns moved
down toward Rostov, the troops which
blocked the path to Grozny opened their
drive, recaptured MoZdok and began
pressing the Nazis back.
At about the same time Red column
moving down from the northwest broke
across the Donets River and divided, one
spearhead pointing toward the Ukraine
and the other seeking to flank Rostov.
During the middle of January, mean
time, 100000 Nazis trapped before Stall
ingrad and refusing to surrender, were
annihilated.
Far away on the Leningrad front,
other Red forces lifted the seige of
Leningrad and that city once more had
direct contact with Moscow, after year
and half of isolation.
Surrender at Stalingrad.
The end of the month brought VIC
tory when the Germans abandoned Mai
kop, whose oil fields supplied about one
seventh of all Russian production and
on the next day, February l, all Ger
man resistance at Stalingrad ceased and
Gen. Friedrich Paulas' army of 100000
surrendered.
Reaching the Sea Of Azov and the
Kerch Straits on February 7, the Rus
slams launched the battle for Rostov It.
self and the 100000 Nazis who were
trapped by the rapid Russian advance.
Kursk, north of the steel city Of
Kharkov, fell two days later and victo-
rious Reds, pouring through the gap in
the line at Belgorod, brought their adj
vance to point which recovered about
all Germany had won in the offensive of
the previous summer.
Orel and Belgorad Fall.
Alter many week of heavy fighting,
but with no decisive victories, the Nazis
finally launched full-scale attack on
the Reds around Belgorod, where they
held menacing position which kept
Kharkov and Orel in Jeopardy. This
was quickly halted, however, and the
Russians themselves assumed the Of
fenslve and on August Is both Orel and
Belgorod were captured, the Russians
bullying out toward Bryansk and Khar-
kov. the latter being entered by the
Reds the following week.
The Russian drive then began to roll
and early in September Stalino was
captured and the Nazis were completely
driven out of the Donets Basin.
The entire front was afame and Rus
sian victories came in quick succession.
Bryansk fell on September 81, thus sew
ering number of vital rail lines, and
on the 18th Smolensk, the key city on
the path to Poland, fell into Russian
hands. During the same week, the Reds
were thrilled by the sight of the church
spires in Kiev, capital Of the Ukraine,
which Is situated on the Dnieper River.
The week of October 10 saw other
great gains, with the Reds seizing Newell,
only 10 miles from the Latvian border,
crossing the Dnieper near Gomel to
drive deeply into White Russia and at
three places above and below Kiev to
threaten an enlightenment of that key
city.
Nails Flee in Panic.
AS October closed, the NaZis were
falling back from the Dnieper River
almost in panic, and 1t was said that
abandoning supplies and heavy equip
ment but even their personal arms in
their desire to move fast.
AS Americas second year of war drew
to close, the Russians were on the Cri-
mean Peninsula where an undetermined
number of Nazis are trapped and
heavy German assault toward Kiev to
engage the Reds thus relieving the
pressure on the Crimea was broken.