VAST ENCIRCLING HOVE DEVELOPING

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 62, 14 March 1944, Page 5

VAST ENCIRCLING HOVE DEVELOPING

GERMANS IN PERIL 250,000 Men Overshadowed In Bug Line N.Z. Press Association —Copyright Rec. noon. LONDON, 13. Reuters Moscow correspondent declares that the chances that the Germans will be able to hold the Bug line are very small. They are facing the probability that they will be forced to withdraw the whdle southern line to the Dniester In defence against the Russian threat.

A vast encircling movement over250,000 men. One Russian Army, under the command of Marshal Koniev, is fanning out swiftly from the newly captured Gaivoron. The Third Ukrainian Army, under General Malinovsky, after forcing the crossing of the Ingul R lv f r ' 1S now pressing on towards the lower reaches of the Bug River. These two forces are converging on the railway junction of Pervomaisk, ana the junction of these Russian will draw tight the net around the Germans.

Grave Threat Further North The threat from the Russian Army under Marshal Zhukov, is equally grave for the Germans. Th fall of Proskurov and Vinnitsa would turn the whole of the Bug line.

A correspondent describes yesterday's progress as one of the most dramatic and swift advances of t whole winter campaign. Summi g up the results of ten days of fight g on the 400-mile front, he says tnat the disastrous consequences for Germans of the Second Ukrainian Army's enormous victory at Um are piling up. First the Germ lost irreplaceable armour and panz groups specially assigned to hold up the Russian southward advance from Kiev; second, railway com munications to Rumania are g v, pen endangered; third, Vinnitsa has the opened to flank attack, fou, possibility that forces will split int two unconnected groups (thes first group would include troops ot u er ograd and Odessa, and the other those fighting on tne ct^f s of the front who can still witnoraw to Lwow). „v.r.ln Russian progress aided southern front is mcreaplnnment bv the use of German e<l. P ser l which is being impressed i nt , o sel vice as soon as captured in order to speed up the advance.

[Such of the cable and is designated has appeared in Emission. It should tent to this PaP" by s P« m a i r s e slo n ot those oI be understood that the opinion* The Times unless staged to