Word: ilmen
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Dates: during 1940-1949
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Farther north, Red armies hammered at Vitebsk. New thrusts sprang out of Nevel. Striking across dense forests south of Lake Ilmen, Russian troops had torn a ten-mile gap in German lines, cut an important railroad. A drive north of the lake threatened the great stronghold of Novgorod. Somewhere, the Stavka hoped, the German line would burst under the fierce pressure, let the Red flood through...
Militarily, he is efficient and capable, and he was probably the best man in Spain for the cabinet job. His most recent training in modern warfare was in Russia, where he commanded the Spanish Blues, who fought as the 250th Wehrmacht Division on the Lake Ilmen sector.* There he declared: "We only wish that among the silent graves on the Russian fields are also Spanish graves." His wish has been fulfilled by at least 7,000 Spaniards...
...northern retreat began in the Demyansk swamps south of Lake Ilmen, where Marshal Semion Timoshenko climaxed an offensive with a great breakthrough (TIME, March 8). For 18 months the Germans had clung doggedly to the western part of the swamp area. In the warm months these marshlands form one of the best natural barriers in Russia. Last year this barrier served the Germans; this year it will serve the Red Army and hamper any German counteroffensive in the north. Winter's freeze made the swamps passable, and Timoshenko used the waning weeks of winter to smash through so fast...
Peril in the North. The Soviet High Command this week announced a full-scale offensive in the north, below Leningrad. Led by Marshal Semion Timoshenko, the Russians-taking full advantage of the remaining weeks of winter-were attacking the entire German 16th Army near Lake Ilmen. Moscow said that over 300 towns and settlements had been retaken, that 11,000 Germans were killed or captured. Success would mean that the Germans would be outflanked on the approaches of Leningrad. Then, especially if the Finns managed to make peace the whole Nazi position in the north would be in peril...
Official reports to government and Red Army organs indicated that a full scale counter-offensive was developing from the Novgorod area north of Lake Ilmen to the Desna River south of Smolensk...