Daily Post - 17.02.1943, Síða 1

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ICELAND’S ONLY ENGLISH
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IV—31
Wednesday, Feb. 16th, 1943.
Price 50 aurar.
I Britain To Adopt
Beverídge Plan
Soviets Take Kharkovt
Another fireat Bissiais
Success
London, February 16th.
After more than a year’s Nazi occupation, Kharkov, the
great industrial centre of the Ukraine, has fallen. This news »as
announced in a special communique from Moscow late to-night,
which stated that the town had heen carried hy storm to-day,
after heavy street fighting, “as fierce as any encounter in the
present campaigri’.
Sir John Anderson, the
Lord President of the Coun-
cil, told the House of Co n-
mone today that the Govt
accepted the main principles
of the Beveridge Plan and
would introduce legislation
to carry out the proposals as
soon as possible. Further de-
tails of the debate are given
on the back page. .
flnge Jap Losses
In Sonth Pacific
London, 16th Feb.
The United States Navy De-
partment has now broken its
silence regarding the recent
sea and air battle in the Solo-
mons, and to-day gave these
figures of U. S. and Japanese
losses:
The United States lost one
heavy cruiser, the “Chicago”;
one destroyer; three motor tor-
pedo-boats, and 22 planes.
15 SHIPS SUNK
The Japanese lost 15 ships
sunk| probably sunk, or da-
maged, in addition to 60 planes.
Of these 15 ships 12 were de-
stroyers. Both sides used dive
bombers, and Flying Fortres-
ses are mentioned to have taken
part in the action.
These figures cover the losses
of both sides up to the 4th of
February, when the Japs
announced the evacuation of
Guadalcanal.
Activity io Burma
London, 16th Eeb.
Huge fires were started last
in Rabaul, which was battered
by 70 Allied planes. In Burma
the R.A.F. raided an airfield,
causing heavy damage.
Taking part in the city’s de-
fence were enemy infantry di-
visions and special troops, be-
sides two specially selected ar-
moured divisions, the “Adolf
Hitler” and the “Reich” divi-
sions.
NEW PHASE
Moscow states that this
marks an important neW phase
in the campaign, and points out
that in their counter-offensive
last year the Russian forces
never succeeded in freeing the
town. The Germans captured
Kharkov in October 1941, after
having paid the toll of 120,000
killed, and 450 tanks destroy-
ed.
COUNTER ATTACKS
It was reported earlier that
Russian troops had entered the
suburbs of the town, after pene-
trating the enemy defences in
many places. The German gar-
rison, after receiving strong
reinforcements, had made des-
perate counter-attacks, which
had been flung back.
RICH AREA
The great westward sweep of
the Russian armies between
Voroshilovgrad and Rostov
continues, and according to the
Moscow communique of to-day,
56 inhabited places have been
recaptured by our Allies in the
last twenty-four hours in this
ariea, where Soviet forces are
now oþerating considerably
west of Rostov. More ground
has been gained near Voroshi-
lovgrad, where the Russians are
rapidly winning back one of
Europe’s richest industrial
areas.
NARROWING GAP
The enemy forces are now
hemmed into the industrial
region around Stalino, upon
which our Allies are advancing
from two directions. Russian
spearheads are only 40 miles'
from this city, and are steadily
narrowing the Nazi escape gap
to the south. The heaviest fight-
ing is now going on south-east
of this important junction.
Great quantities of booty have
fallen into our Allies’ hands, in-
cluding hundreds of railway
wagons, and thousands of motor
vehicles.
Further north, the enemy
position at Orel, that great road
and railway junction, is said to
be becoming desperate. Our Al-
lies announce further gains in
this area, and the capture of
much booty.
Bitter Fiflhtinfl
in Tnnisia
U. S. Wlthdraw Front
Oasls Of Gafsa
London, 16th Feb.
Allied HQ in Tunisia report
that bitter fighting continues in
the central sector along a 50
mile front. A small enemy force
yesterday evening entered
Gafsa, from which the Ameri-
cán troops had already with-
drawn.
AXIS THRUST
In their offensive, which
started on Sunday, the Axis
thrust forwards in two places.
The one from a north-westerly
direction, was designed to en-
circle the American forces at
Gafsa, and it was to prevent
this that our troops were ord-
ered to withdraw.
EMPLOY VETERANS
The oasis of Gafsa, which lies
about 100 miles west of Sfax,
and the area around it had
been held by an American force
limited in men and arms, and
so the withdrawal was not at
all unexpected. Howard Mar-
shall, B.B.C. war correspondent
in Tunisia, in his dispatch to-
day says that it is quite clear
that the enemy objective with
these attacks is to widen their
j coastal corridor between Nortn-
I ern Tunisia and the Mareth
Line. The Germans he says, are
employing well equipped and
experienced veterans in this
area.
(Continued on Page 4).
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