FLANK MOVE ON SMOLENSK

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 24059, 22 September 1943, Page 5

FLANK MOVE ON SMOLENSK

Russians Capture

Velizh MORE SUCCESSES IN SOUTH (NJS. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 11 p.m.) ‘ LONDON, Sept. 2l» * Russian and German troops, 250,000 strong, are locked in a great struggle for Smolensk. The Russians, following their practice of cutting communications before closing in, have outflanked the city to the north by capturing Velizh, 70 miles to the north-west and about half-way between Smolensk and Velikye Luki. Velizh lies on the Dvina river, and the Russian* are now moving from the river towards Vitebsk. Soviet forces are also pushing forward in the Roslavl sector, between Smolensk and Bryansk. Yesterday they advanced 15 miles. They are now within 23 miles of Roslavl. The huge salient west of Kiev is now 150 miles deep, and the Russians yesterday pushed it 25 miles further to the north by capturing Kozolets, 40 miles east-north-east of Kiev. Northeast of Chernigov the Russians yesterday widened one of their Desna bridgeheads and captured Karyukovka, 40 miles southwest of Novgorod Sieversk.

One Russian force, striking towards the Dnieper, is 18 miles from Zaporozhe; another force has cut the railway from Zaporozhe to Dnepropetrovsk; and another’ force is within 13 miles of Melitopol.

The latest Russian communique announces the occupation of Inore than 1130 localities, making a total in the last three days of more than 3000, including a great number of towns and railway junctions. Advances of from four to 16 miles were made on all offensive fronts yesterday. The concentration of men and armour against Smolensk and Kiev has not caused any slackening of pressure anywhere along the winding front from north of Smolensk to the Sea of Azov. The Germans are falling back at all points before the r'elentless hammering. ' Reuter’s correspondent in Moscow says that the Red Army is forcing the Germans nearer and nearer the brink of catastrophe. “Any further retreat,” he adds, “will entail the risk of the loss of Smolensk or Kiev or both, and with them the major part of the German gains in two years of the bloodiest warfare. “Th& Soviet successes in the present summer offensive represent the greatest blow Hitler has ever sustained.

est fortifications to-day’s slave armies could produce are crumbling. The roar of Russian artillery is drawing nearer towns that have heard only the crack of rifles of German firing squads since the summer of 1941. Smolensk and Kiev

“Some of the fiercest battles of the war are being fought etat of Kiev .and along Napoleon's road of retreat towards. Smolensk. Three Russiah armies are advancing against "Smolensk cn ah arc less than 30 miles from ttmcity. Thrusts from Dukhovshina and Yartsevo threaten to outflank the Germans" from the north-east, . “Frontline dispatches say that south of Smolensk the Russians ere within easy artillery range of the Kiev-G«M» railway, the only railway north of Kiev and east of the Dnieper still in German hands. The capture of, the German strojigpoint of Priluki has cleared the left flank of the Russian wedge pointing towards Kiev, and « mqkes a final, pincers moverfient against the city pos-" sible. ' ■- ‘Twogrmies. Dnieper bend. The Russians are within 30 miles of Zaporozhe on the southern elbow; The Russiah drive farther south against Melitopol threatens the; last escape railway from the Crimea, leaving the Germans only the hazardous sea route. ' ‘The advance continues in the Kuban over a battlefield strewn with German' dead and abandoned war material.”'

They are even more disastrous for Hitler than Stalingrad. ■ The-Germans are now faced with a most serious dilemma. If they do not withdraw, the Red Army threatens them with a series of major and minor Stalingrads. If they do withdraw too quickly they run the same risks of being completely overwhelmed.

Reuter's correiroondeht adds that the area recaptured by the Red Amy in two months of offensive i fighting ; it relatively small compared with ;the advance last winter. but the milltary task performed is many times greater. This summer the Russians attacked a line the Germans had been preparing for, 18 months and which they boasted wat impregnable. The Red Army had outfought and outwitted the.Gerroan army by a combination of high military skill and sheer strength of numbers, anaouf, and guns applied at the right place. :•

“Meanwhile, massed German ireinforcements are being thrown Into a land and air battle in a supreme effort to hold firm, but the Russians are steadily advancing in fulfilment of their grand strategic plan, alternatively hammering from the front and levering from the flanks.

“The Russians are cracking up the most powerful garrisons. The strong-

RESERVES FROM RUSSIA

AMGOT CRITICISED AGAIN

GERMAN TROOPS FOR ITALY

ARTICLE IN RUSSIAN JOURNAL

LONDON. Sept. 29,

(Rcc. 9 pin.) LONDON, Sept. 21. A withdrawal of German reserves from the Russian battlefront to meet the Allied invasion of Italy is admitted by the Berlin newspaper “Voelkischer Beobachter."

The influential Soviet political review, “War and the Working Class, 1 ' has criticised the Allied Military Government of Occupied Territory for the second time within a month.

“Amgot’s actions clearly indicate that it is not intended to bring about the liquidation of the Fascist regime’ it says. ‘‘Amgot is working on foundations which have nothing in common with democratic principles.”

• It says: “The Wehrmacht was facing a situation in Russia which was tending towards breaking point, and the Fuehrer therefore ordered that flexible tactics must henceforth be adopted. The front line had to be straightened, and we do not attempt to belittle the surrender of Kh rkov. Novorossiisk. Stalin, and Bryansk. This general retreat in Russia, however. Ives set free new reserves for us. It is because of these reserves that the British and American invasion of Italy 1A not bgitufe

First Sea Lord Unwell—The Admiralty says that the First Sea Lord (Admiral of the Fleet Sir Dudley Pound), who returned from the United Stales with Mr, is unwej< and