Another Great Victory For Reds

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 63, 15 March 1944, Page 5

Another Great Victory For Reds

UKRAINE TRIUMPH

Swift Dnieper Thrust Spells Disaster For Huns

(N.Z.P.A.—Copyright.— Rec. 12.30 p.m.) LONDON, March 14. . «, Another ßesounding victory has been scored by the Russians in South-western Ukr aine where several German divisions are encircled and about 1 0,000 killed and 4000 taken prisoner. The area in which the Red Army has trapped the German divisions lies about 33 mi es north-east of Nikolayev. Two ends of the trap were 20 miles apart. They were Bereznegovati, 40 miles north-east of Nikolayev, and Snegirovka, 30 miles due east. Reuters Moscow correspondent states that crack German divisions lost their entire equipment and suffered staggering casualties m the swift Russian thrust across the Dnieper which is continuing towards Nikolayev, the Black Sea naval base, to-day, cnnnn 1 ?-n a j tUre I ° f Kherson yesterday. The Germans lost over 50,000 killed and wounded in this thrust, in which Kherson iftelf was captured in a few hours.

In a little over 72 hours the Red Army forced a mile-wide break across the Dnieper, beat back German counter-attacks and drove on 40 miles to Kherson, creating a condition similar to a total rout of the Germans as below Uman.

Countryside Littered With German Dead The whole bank of the Dnieper from Berislavl to Kherson is littered with German dead, lorries, tanks and guns. There are similar scenes in the streets of Kherson, where thousands of German bodies are being collected for burial.

Von Mannstein's position has worsened in the past 24 hours as the Russians throw more divisions into the offensive. Odessa is threatened, Nikolayev as good as lost, and at least four other big centres of German resistance are in danger.

The Russians have crossed the River Bug south-west of Uman and formed several bridgeheads, said Berlin radio to-night. It added that the Russians crossed in the area where their breakthrough had reached its maximum depth.