ENORMOUS LOSSES WEAKENING ENEMY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 252, 23 October 1943, Page 5

ENORMOUS LOSSES WEAKENING ENEMY

MOSCOW RADIO CLAIM Supply Troops Thrown Into Line At Kiev N.Z. Press Association—Copvright Rec. 1 p.m. Oct. 22. Between the Pripet marshes, around Kiev to the Sea of Azov, between 7Q and 90 German divisions are engaged in battles representing between 1,000,000 and 1,250,000 men, according to the calculations of the military writer of the Press Association. Moscow radio to-night declared: "The German war machine is tottering and growing daily weaker, after the enormous losses in the battles for the Dnieper." Reuters correspondent in Moscow says the Germans before Kiev are throwing into the fighting line bandsmen," supply troops and security police. "They have been seen to machine-gun whole groups of German soldiers attempting to retreat," the correspondent adds. "The approaching Russian threat has given the signal for a new wave of terrorism, within the city. Night after night the sound of volleys on the outskirts of Kiev tells of more Soviet citizens dying before German firing squads." New Russian Attacks The German news agency reported powerful new Russian attacks in the Pereyslavl area, where the Red Army holds a bridgehead 50 miles south-east of Kiev. Berlin radio stated that the Rus- j sians made new attacks north-west of Smolensk and south-west of Velikiye Luki. The radio claims that the breaches have been sealed off. A German war reporter, speaking over Berlin radio to-night, referring to the fighting in the Kremenchug area, admitted that the Russians had effected a deep break-through. "Our troops," he said, "have had a hard time. Thej' have been fighting without rest since June 15 and have hardly ever had time to take off their boots." Berlin Admits Several Breaches While Moscow radio reported that the Germans had rushed fresh forces from France, Poland, Holland and Denmark to throw them into the battle south-east of Kremenchug, Axis radios stated that Russians from secret bases were pun-shing for ward more arms and vast supplies of war materials. The Berlin radio commentator, Sertorius, said great battles were fought yesterday at the entrance to the Nogaisk Steppe, where the Russians attacked on a front of about 60 miles. He added that the Russians attacked the German positions on both sides of Melitopol, powerfully supported by tanks and artillery. Several breaches were forced in Ahe German lines. The great battle for Kiev was continuing with undiminished ferocity. The British United Press correspondent says the Russians north of Kiev expanded their bridgeheads, using big tank and cavalry forces, fighting and moving toward the city yard by yard. "The slaughter was immense, especially along the river bank," the correspondent adds. "Corpses flowing down on the tide are as numerous as leaves on an autumn day. Yet the Germans are still throwing in every man they can scrape up from the rear in their titanic effort to retain Kiev. Over Fifty Places Captured To-night's Soviet communique says: "Russian forces broke enemy resistance in the city of Melitopol and captured several strongly fortified points. Street fighting continues in the northern part of the city. "South and south-east of Kremenchug the Russians advanced between four and six miles and captured over 50 places, including the town and railway station of Verkhnedneprovsk, on the west bank of the Dnieper, 50 miles south-east of Kremenchug, Saskagan, eight miles south-east of Pyatikhatki, and Iskrovka, 18 miles north of Krivoi Rog."