Pacific News-Review

Notes And Comment On

The Progress Of The War

From Jan. 14 To Feb. 14

Jan. 14; The whole of the German line, from the Black Sea to Leningrad, is breaking under the hammer blows of Russia’s great winter offensive. The Russians m the western Ukraine, are now advancing towards the River Bug.

Another Russian army, on the front near the Pripet Marshes, is attacking Mosir, a key-town.

Jan. 15; It is believed that new and large-scale British and American air raids on Europe are designed to wipe the Luftwafie out of the sky, as a pre lude to the Anglo-American mvasion of Europe.

Jan. 17: Fires started in Brunswick, Germany, after the RAF raid on Friday were still not under control on Sunday night. British Lancasters dropped 2,uuo tons of bombs on the town in 23 minutes.

Jan. 17; In New Guinea the Austra lians have reached Sio, chief enemy barge and supply base between them and the Americans at Saidor.

Jan. 18: The Russians have extended their offensive and begun a new drive opposite Latvia.

Jan. 18: Australians advanced three miles beyond Sio. At Cape Gloucester (New Britain) a key position was cap tured on the 14th by the Americans. The Japs lost another 29 aircraft over Rabaul.

Jan. 19: The Russians have launched a large-scale offensive along the 120-miles northern front between Leningrad and Lake Ilmen.

Jan. 21: The Germans evacuated Nov gorod, their large base 100 miles south of Leningrad and 20 miles north of Lake liman. The Russian break-through is so complete that the fall of Pskov (120 miles south-west of Novgorod) is imminent.

Jan. 22: After 18 days’ respite, Berlin was raided on Thursday night; 2,000 tons of bombs were dropped.

Jan. 22: A formal agreement between Australia and New Zealand, covering their common interests in the Pacific, was signed yesterday, after three days’ conference at Canberra.

Jan. 22: The Allied Fifth Army (Brit ish and Americans) have landed on the coast of Italy, 30 miles south of Rome, and is reported to be seriously threaten ing the enemy’s lines of communication.

It is hoped that the operation may cut off 100,000 German troops.

Jan. 23: Overcoming strong Japanese resistance in the rugged country above Faria River, Australians have made gains in the Ramu Valley, New Guinea main land.

Jan. 26: Allied patrols, operating from bridgeheads 30 miles south of Rome, cut the Appian Way and the main Naples- Rome electric railway beyond it.

Jan. 28: American troops in the Allied bridgehead, south of Rome, have made good progress, and have advanced well beyond the Mussolini Canal.

Jan. 28: Heavy fighting continues as the Russians steadily drive back 25 Ger man divisions between Leningrad and Novgorod.

Jan. 29: British Foreign Minister Eden, in the Commons, made a statement about British prisoners in the hands of the Japanese. Many thousands have been forced to work and to live under intolerable jungle conditions in Siam, without adequate shelter, clothing, food or medical attention. Coinciding with Mr. Eden’s revelations, a document, based on the testimony of three Ameri can officers who escaped from the Philip pines, has been issued by the US Army and Navy, and gives details of Jap brutalities against Americans and Fili pinos taken in the Philippines,

Jan. 31: The Russians, in their north ern offensive, are nearing the borders of the Baltic States. Leningrad is now completely free.

Jan. 31: In Italy, the Allies are 16 miles from Rome. They are striking at Albano, 13 miles from Rome, on the Appian Way.

Jan. 31: In the 40 hours ending noon Saturday the Allies dropped more than 5,000 tons of bombs on German indus trial centres. Berlin received 3,000 tons and Frankfurt 1,800 tons.

Feb. 1: After heavy attacks on the Marshall Islands by American aircraft carriers and warships, an invasion by American forces has begun.

Feb. 1: Another 1,500 tons of bombs have been dropped on Berlin—making 4,500 tons since last Thursday.

Feb. 2: The Russians are now 12 miles from the borders of Estonia.

Feb. 3: On January 31, 30,000 Ameri can Marines and infantry launched an attack on Kwajalein and Roi islets, on Kwajalein atoll, in the heart of the Marshall islands. They went in a con voy of unprecedented size—some say 2,000,000 tons. The Americans are meet ing stiff resistance.

Feb. 3: Australian and Netherlands troops, who have established outposts along the south coast of Dutch New Guinea, were in contact with the Japan ese, and routed a large force in the Eilanden River area.

Feb. 4; By the capture of Roi islet, the Americans have control of the best air field in the Marshalls, from which they could attack the great naval base of Truk, 1,100 miles away, in the Carolines.

Feb. 4: The Russians are across the Estonian border, and opened the battle for Narva yesterday. The Germans announce a German withdrawal in Poland, north-west of Kiev.

Feb. 5: In the biggest German disaster since Leningrad, 10 enemy divisions have been encircled in the Kanev salient, south of Kiev, and are being systematic ally wiped out.

Feb. 7: Twelve more islets have fallen to the Americans in the Marshalls.

Kwajalein has been cleared of enemy resistance, and two islets, Ebeye and Loi, have been captured. They have thus acquired another large airfield, tw<p sea plane bases, a radio station and shipping facilities.

Feb. 7: Vitebsk (northern White Rus sia, 300 miles west of Moscow) may have to be abandoned by the Germans. West of Leningrad, the Russians continue their drive into Estonia.

Feb. 7: Increasing numbers' of tanks and storm-troops are being used by the Germans in counter-attacks against the Allies in their beachhead south of Rome.

This Allied enterprise seems to have died away.

Feb. 8: United States warships have shelled the Kurile Islands, Japanese home territory, which extend from Kam chatka to Hokkaido. They are the most northerly of the islands comprising Japan proper.

Feb. 8; Two battles of annihilation are raging on the eastern front. South of Kanev, the remains of 10 German divi sions are fighting in a diminishing defence zone; and 200 miles south, at Nikopol, five enemy divisions are almost surrounded.

Feb. 9: Red Army forces have launched attacks against Nikopol (in the Dnieper Bend) and Narva (Estonia). They also are developing their offensive towards Vitebsk, in White Russia.

Feb. 9; Photographs of the Rabaul area show that the Japanese air strength there is shrinking.

Feb. 10; The Germans are retreating from the Dnieper Bend. Nikopol has been taken by the Russians, Feb. 10: In Italy, German tanks and infantry took the initiative all along the perimeter of the Allied beachhead, south of Rome. The Germans claim they advanced several miles and took 700 prisoners.

Feb. 11: The Japanese forces are reported to be abandoning Madang.

Alter a bombmg and straffing raid on Tuesday, Allied airmen reported no anti aircraft fire.

Feb. 8; It is alleged that 80 per cent, of German fighter strength is needed to protect occupied Europe under continual Allied air blasting. Without this large percentage, every German industrial centre would be wiped out in three months.

Feb. 12: Allied beachhead in Italy is now hard pressed in heavy defensive fighting.

Feb. 12; The 10 German divisions in the Kanev pocket have been split in two and their fate sealed. There are also indications that Germans delayed too long in the Krivoi Rog sector, farther south, and will lose heavily.

Feb. 14: British troops, in the beach head south of Rome, have regained most of the ground lost to the Germans.

The latter are still attacking but the British counter-attacks are making steady progress. Bad weather is pre venting adequate Allied air and sea support.

Feb. 14: Air attacks on Rabaul con tinue. The Wewak-Madang area was also hit. Seven hundred and twenty-two tons of bombs were dropped on the New Guinea area on two days last week; 67 enemy planes and between 50 and 100 large barges were destroyed.