RED ARMY FIGHTS IN TARNOPOL TOWN

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 59, 10 March 1944, Page 5

RED ARMY FIGHTS IN TARNOPOL TOWN

RAPID ADVANCE

Push Launched Regardless Of Weather N.Z. Press Association—Copyright Rec. 1 p.m. LONDON, Mar. 9. The Russians are now fighting in the streets of Tarnopol. To-night's Moscow communique says that in the Starokonstantinov sector over 100 inhabited places, including the railway stations of Ivashpvtsky and Maximovka, were captured. The Red

I Army has broken into Tarnopol, I where street fighting is going on.

Russians Avest and south-west of Kasatin assumed the offensive and captured Ulanov, 25 miles south-west of Berdichev, 40 miles east of Starokonstantinov, besides 40 inhabited places, including the railway station of Kryzhavka.

The communique says that according to preliminary data troops of the third Ukrainian front after four.days of fighting in the Krivoi Rog area killed 8000 Germans, took prisoner 1000 and captured 67 tanks, 175 guns, 2000 lorries a\l ten dumps of equipment. Zhukov Defies Test Books Reuters Moscow correspondent reports that Marshal Zhukov's forces in the middle Ukraine offensive now hold 45 miles of the 75 miles stretch of railway between Proskurov and Tarnopol. He points out that Marshal Zhukov launched the middle Ukraine offensive in defiance of text book rules when mud was likely to bog down his armies completely. Blizzards and rainstorms since November have convented the battlefront into a vast mud bath, but "there is no time to wait for good weather" was the word lof command from Russian Head- ! quarters.

Marshal Zhukov went ahead and was justified. German prisoners revealed that when the middle Ukraine offensive started the German staff refused to believe the information that the Russians had- penetrated their central positions and appeared on their flanks. They thought it was absolutely impossible that a major attack could be undertaken under such conditions.

The Red Star says the Germans are using transport planes to rush supplies to their tanks and motorised columns fast in the mud in Starokonstantinov area. The Germans are losing dozens of panzers in counterattacks. They attacked unsuccessfully in one area with 10,0 tanks.

The, maintenance of the tremendous impetus of the new offensive is shown by a second Order of the Day from Marshal Stalin announcing the capture of the important enemy defence zone of Starokonstantinov, "the result of a skilful outflanking manoeuvre, coupled with a frontal attack."

The Times Moscow correspondent, before the announcement of the capture of Starokonstantinov, said the fall of the town would be a first-rate success for the Russians because the German forces in the neighbourhood were barring the advance towards Proskurov.

CRIMEA GATEWAYS Germans Report Resumption Of Soviet Attacks PEREKOP AND KERCH Rec. 1 p.m. LONDON, Mar. 9. Von Hammer, the German commentator, has revealed revival of the fignting in the Crimea. He said: '"The Russians resumed attacks simultaneously in the Kerch and Perekop gateways to the Crimea. The Russians at Kerch, after violent artillery preparations, attacked under a smoke-screen, but were repulsed. A similar attack north of Perekop was likewise frustrated."