Word: rostov
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Dates: during 1940-1949
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Voronezh to Kursk. The line that the Germans hoped to hold in the south became fairly clear. If they could keep Kursk and Kharkov-the starting points of their summer drive-and retain a line swerving southeastward to Rostov, they would still have the main arteries of their principal supply system and most of the industrially rich Donets basin. Fortnight ago, the Red Army seemed to have a chance to threaten this "last line." This week, after they completed the repossession of Voronezh and swept westward, the Russians were actually attacking the outer bastions of that line near Kursk...
...Donets basin is the greatest prize the Germans have won in Russia. If they have to retreat from Rostov, giving up the eastern half of the basin, they could still try to hold a straightened version of the Kharkov-Mariupol line from which they started last year, and the richer western half of the basin would still be German. Any retirement beyond that line, meaning the sacrifice of all the Donets area, could be attributed only to utter defeat...
...formidable forces still intact near the city. Below Moscow the preliminary disintegration of Germany's southern positions and communications proceeded: the Russians retook the important railway center of Kamensk, Voronezh and pressed on Voroshilovgrad, advanced from north and south toward the German's pinion position at Rostov. The fall of Salsk and Armavir gave the Red Army a tighter hold upon the railways of the Caucasus, increased the prospect that the retiring Axis forces there can only retreat across the Black Sea into the Crimea. Ever nearer was a Russian thrust into the Germans' Kharkov line...
...Russians broke through again on the Don Front. They encircled Millerovo with deception and strength, then cut the Moscow-Rostov railroad at Glubokaya...
This week, they lanced through in places to the Donets River and made some crossings. Millerovo's capture was one of the major tests of whether Russia's southern offensive could break through to Rostov, linchpin of the whole German southern front. Now the Reds' chance of knocking out the linchpin looked increasingly good...