Over the Wire

Battered Axis forces continued to retreat Thursday in Russia and Libya before strong Soviet and British offenslves.

Axis difficulties produced a new crop of rumors which swept uneasy Europe, miserable in the grip of bitter cold and with fuel and food scanty in many regions. Included were reports that the Axis was preparing for a possible British invasion of Italy, that Finland was making peace overtures to Russia and that Germany was rushing the assembly of small submarines at Bulgarian ports for a Black Sea campaign, possibly to include invasion of Turkey.