Evening star., 1943-02-22
Soviets Mop Up
In Donets Basin;
Take New Areas
Advancing Reds Poised
For 34-MiIe March
To Dnieper River
BY EDDY GILMORE,
Associated Press War Correspondent.

"ooSoW, FeU. IE.-MOpplIlS- =
up operations in the Donets
Basin have carried the Red
Army into numerous towns about
30 miles south and southwest of
VoroShilovgrad, the Russians said
today, while far to the west
Soviet columns were reported
poised for a 34-mile march to
the Dnieper River after captur-
ing Pavlograd and Krasnograd.
"a Berlin broadcast today said
the Soviet winter offensive has
presumably passed it's climax"
and there has been no further
expansion of the success of the
attacks made hitherto
CThe German high command
communique, however. indicated
continued strong Russian attacks
on the northern front and in the
Donets area to the south.)
The Russians also announced
their drives west of Rostov. north
of Kursk toward Orel. and west of
krasnodar toward the Black Sea
coast were rolling forward.
An early communique said moth
ing about the Dnieper Valley threat.
where the Russian troops were last
reported beyond Krasnograd, so
miles southwest of Kharkov.
But it told of the capture of Bo-
kovo-Antratsit, a coal center and
railway station, and of Upper Ma
golchik, large town, in the drive
closing around German garrisons
remaining in the east-central areas
OF the DonetS coal country.
Nazi Tank Drive RepuIsed.
Elsewhere in the Donets Basin, Bit
ter fighting again was reported
south OF kramatorsk, where a Soviet
plncer was thrust toward the indus
trial center of Stalino. In this area
large German tank force was re-
pulsed as it tried to regain lost
ground and the fighting, the Rus
SLAMS said, was extremely violent
with the Germans suffering heavy
losses.
A Soviet special communioue
Saturday night announced the TAX
ing OF Pavlograd and Krasnograd
major rail functions.
From the first the Russians could
strike toward Dnieperopetrovsk, in
the upper bend of the Dnieper River,
or down the railroad toward Zapo-
rome, on the western bank of the
river below Dnieperopetrovsk.
From Krasnograd the column
could point toward Poltava, an i'm
portant rail junction.
Both captured cities are on tribu-
tarles of the Dnieper and the seiz-
ure of their railways had severed
all German communications be-
tween Kharkov and the Donets
Basin region.
SaVlograd was taken, front line
dispatches said, after a stiff battle
IN which Red Army troops braved
gun-studded hills and German ar
NOR to storm into the city from
the fianks and rear.
Reds Press Westward.
The victorious Soviet forces con-
tinued fighting westward without
time to rest or count their war
trophies, the Russians said
Other cities southeast and south
OF Krasnograd also were reported to
have fallen to the troops as they
cleared Kharkov Province of enemy
forces.
Russian troops in the Krasnoar-
melsk sector, north of Stalino. dealt
out heavy punishment to a German
tank force that managed to smash
INTO the Soviet lines, the Russian
midday communique recorded by
the Soviet radio monitor in London
said today.
Fire of our artillery, however. dis
abled or set on fire II German
tanks the communique said. The
remaining enemy tanks attempting
to turn back fell into an ambush
After losing several more tanks the
Germans retfeated to their initia
positions"
North of Elursk, in the campaigr
which has Orel as its objective, the
war bulletin said 800 Germans were
killed as hurried reinforcements
were thrown into one sector, anc
that IN another Soviet mobile units
captured several towns and took
possession of strategic highway
Again the Russian cOmmuniuue
omitted mention of the forces west
OF kharkOv which threaten to drive
into the DnieDer Valley