BREAK-THROUGH INTO CRIMEA

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 24095, 3 November 1943, Page 3

BREAK-THROUGH INTO CRIMEA

Russians Capture Perekop ADVANCE TOWARDS DNIEPER MOUTH (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 11 p.m.) LONDON, November 2, The Russians have captured the town of Perekop and havi broken through into the Crimea. The Germans in the Crimea have now no way of escape by land. A dispatch to f the British Broadcasting Corporation from Moscow says that the Red Army has not only captured Perekop, but has also destroyed enemy resistance on the Perekop Isthmus. The Russians smashed through strong prepared defences to take the town of Armiansk, five miles beyond Perekop. The Germans are falling back into the Crimea. North-west of the isthmus, the Russians are rapidly advancing on Khersonj at the mouth of the Dnieper, the main escape route for the Germans retreating south. Further up the Dnieper the Russians are 12 miles from Nikopol (north of the wedge which the Red Army has driven to the river round Kakhovka). German forces which manage to cross the Dnieper to Nikopol, where the river is a mile wide, must retreat through the rail junction of Apostolovo, inside the Dnieper bend. The Russians advancing south-west Dnepropetrovsk are steadily approaching Apostolovo, in spite of stubborn resistance. The Germans are still counter-attacking furiously at Krivoi Rog. The Russians have made no progress in this area in the last four days. t

in uiv ihoii *uui ww^ui “The latest Russian communique 1 confirms that the Germans’ last retreat ’ roads from the Crimea are cut,” says the British United Press correspondent. ( “Perekop and Armiansk are among 60 i places announced as captured. j “General Tolbukhin’s army has j reached the Crimea border at Salkovo i station, 10 miles west of Genichesk. j His right wing has reached the lower , Dnieper on a 10-mile front, north-east of Kakhovka.” , The Bed Army columns’ swift sweep ) across the Taurida Steppe, which has j cut off the Crimea, now threatens , Kherson and Nikolaev, which are the • next strategically important centres, ■ and it makes possible a new blow ■ against the under-side of the Dnieper bend. Correspondents in Moscow report ’ that Russian advanced units by-passed Perekop and cut off the Crimea. Kherson and Nikolaev are now so seriously ; menaced that the German commanders ; are likely to be forced to move their ; headquarters to Odessa, which only a ; few weeks ago was considered the ‘ likely southernmost point of a German : defensive line, on which a stand with ; the most powerful forces that could , be mustered would be made. The possibility of the formation of a “steel wall” in this area is now regarded as greatly reduced by the rout of the German southern forces, which are no longer able to preserve their formations for an orderly retreat. Commenting on the German position in this area, some dispatches say that the total loss of the German forces east of the Bug river is possible. “Worst Bout Since 1918” “The Germans on the Taurida Steppe are undergoing the most serious and most complete rout that any German. . soldiers have experienced since ’ J9l&,”' says the Moscow correspondent :of the Colombia Broadcasting System. “Front line reports say that the Germans have no organised defence. Divisions and regiments are falling back completely disorganised, abandoning their equipment. including tanks and armoured cars, in good condition. Isolated groups are making a desperate last stand, but most of the Germans are just running.” The Moscow correspondent of the British United Press says: “The Russian campaign in the southern Ukraine is ending up in one of the most frightful slaughters of the war. The battle of the Taurida Steppe will probably go down in history as one of the worst and most disastrous defeats the Germans have ever suffered. Russian armoured units and motorised units are continually cutting deeper and deeper into the heart of the fleeing Germans, leaving behind tens of thousands of .Germans to the mercy of the oncoming cavalry and infantry, who are cutting them to pieces. “The Russian advance has become a ■flood on the sector below Nikopol to below Kakhovka. The Russians are overwhelming the German positions at will. They are almost in sight of the

jft bank of the Dnieper along the rhole of this sector." While the Russians’ southern colmns are driving through disorganised ierman groups some of the heaviest ghting of the campaign is reported :om Krivoi Rog, where the Germans re using strong tank forces, heavy rtillery, and numerous dive-bomber? i a desperate effort to restore an in* reasingly difficult situation. The Associated Press of Great Britain eports that the Russians are repelling erce counter-attacks and slowly galnig the strategic advantage in their adance south-west of Dnepropetrovsk. ■his advance threatens to outflank [rivoi Rog from the south-east and fikopol from the south-west. Reuter’s correspondent in Moscow ays that there is hardly a vantage oint north of Krivoi Rog which has ot been fought over many, times in the 4 days’ battle, but Russian tank-buster quads and anti-tank gunners are* takig a heavy toll of the panzers appearig in the battle. The Red Air Force is eavily bombing concentrations of Gerlan troops and transport round the inieper crossings. The . Germans, southzest of Dnepropetrovsk are fighting a litter rearguard action, realising* that, heir ultimate fate is likely toSe deided by the battle for Krivoi Rog. The Berlin radio commentator (Capain Sertorius) admits that the Russian ;ains on the Nogais and Taurida Iteppes have “assumed major proporions.” All correspondents comment on the olossal amount of booty the Russians lave captured in the lower Dnieper ✓ irea. The British United Press corres>ondent says the Russians have also retained vast quantities of loot. The Ruslan advance is so fast that the Germans, after skimming the country for iverything,worth while, have been unib.le to get their loot out of the couriry. The Russians have captured trainoads of grain, cattle, and poultry, and lave also rescued thousands of Ruslans from slave caravans’ bound for Germany. “It is reliably reported that the Hungarian General Staff has ordered all lungarian troops in South Russia to reurn to Hungary," says Reuter’s Ankara “The first contingent, vhich is reported to have arrived, is stimated at 80,000. It consists of Hun;arians who were employed on garrion duties south;of Kiev.” “The Crimea is passing through a errible time," says a war corresponlent of “Pravda" who made a flying isit to the German-held Crimea Peninula. He landed by aeroplane at a guerilla airfield and travelled through the Crimea. He added that many towns nd villages had been turned into ruins. Sebastopol, Kerch, and Theodosia had leen laid waste. The great metallurgist works at Kerch were idle. The round of the Crimea was soaked with he blood of its citizens, thousands of zhom had 1 been massacred by the lazis.