NOVOROSSISK FALLS TO RED ARMY

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 304, 18 September 1943, Page 7

NOVOROSSISK FALLS TO RED ARMY

Other Forces Make Further Advances On Kiev

(British Official Wireless ami Press Assn > LONDON, September 16. Communiques from the Soviet High Command today report: The fall of Novorossisk, the naval base and main German supply port in the Kuban. The further forcing of the Desna River line, along which the Germans had constructed a part of their “East Wall,” by capturing Novgorod.-Sieversk, west-north-west of Kursk. A further advance beyond Nyezhin toward Kiev, capturing Nosovka, about 60 miles from the old Ukrainian capital. Signs of wavering in the enemy defence line south-west of Kharkov, where the railway junction of Lozovaya was among 100 places taken. Continued advances west of Stalino toward Zaporozhe and Melitopol.

An order of the day issued by Marshal .Stalin, announcing the fall of Novorossisk, states: “Troops of the North Caucasus front, in co-operation with ships and units of the Black Sea Fleet, as the result of a courageous operation consisting of a blow struck by the land troops and a sea landing, after five days of fierce fighting, during which the 73rd German Infantry Division, the 4th and 101st German Alpine Rifie Division, the 4th Rumanian Alpine Rifle Division, and the 4th Command of German Marines were smashed, today took by storm the important Black Sea port aud town of Novorissisk.” It was last Saturday that Russian commandos swept in from the Black Sea right into the harbour of Novorossisk and landed under the fire of German guns. Step by step, in days that followed, they fought their way into the town, slowly forcing the Germans back.

Other attacks were made from the north-east and south-east on the western side of Novorossisk Bay. Hundreds of landing barges were used and thousands of men .poured ashore during the sequence of operations. Describing the assault, the British United Press says the Russian commandos, in. waves ot' 15 to 30 barges, swept in from the Black Sea to Novorossisk harbour. The first wave came in darkness. the second wave at dawn, and the third followed later. The Russians had forced their way through to the harbour’s strong-points. The opinion of some correspondents is that the Germans will almost certainly be forced out of the Kuban peninsula back into the Crimea, thus retreading the road they took last summer in their advance into the Caucasus. The Red Army in the south has been pressing on to attain two great objectives —the stronghold of Dnepropetrovsk on the Dnieper Bend and the strategic rail junction of Zaprorozhe commanding the rail exit from the Crimea. The British United Press Moscow correspondent reports Hint a mechanized Cossack vanguard is little more than 30 miles from Dnepropetrovsk. Romny Occupied.

The Soviet night communique, in addition to recording the capture of Novorossisk, announces the occupation of the towns of Romny and the district centres of Talalaycvka and Glinsk in the Kiev sector, where 90 other inhabited places were also taken.

In tiie Pavlograd sector the Red Army advanced from six to nine miles. More than 40 places were captured in the Zaporozhe and Meliotopol sectors, where the Russians advanced from six to 11 miles. Tiie Russians west of Kharkov have captured Valid and many other inhabited localities. Talalaycvka is 13 miles north-west of Romny. The British United Press says the capture of Losovaya will considerably increase the mobility of the Russian troops on Hie 'whole of the south front, from the Sea of Azov to Poltava, to ‘which the Germans are still stubbornly clinging. It adds that, tiie Russians arc by-passing the rail junction of Pavlograd from the south in order to press on to the Dnieper Bend. Two main forces from the north-east and south-east are advancing toward Zaporozhe and two oilier main forces of mechanized Cossacks are pressing on down on the Sea of Azov coast. They are moving fast, crossing small rivers and ravines only a short distance behind the retreating enemy and not giving him any rest. Losovaya Break-Through. The Russians have broken through the German lines at one .point between the railways from Kharkov to Krasnograd and Lozovaya, according to “Red Star.” Moscow radio said that a heavy Russian barrage on a narrow sector silenced enemy firing-points and paved the .way for the infantry. More Russian units were then flung into the gap, which had been considerably widened. The Germans were forced to abandon several villages. The Russians, developing their success, captured several large inhabited localities. •Tsvcstia” stated that a bitter battle was in progress in the Melitopol section. The Germans were Hinging in large tank forces and suffering corresponding losses. The advancing Russians had overcome powerful German fortifications.

KUBAN BRIDGEHEAD Germans Now In Danger

LONDON, September 16. Till the announcement of the Novorossisk victory in the special Order of the Day by Marshal Stalin, the Russians had barely mentioned this sector of the Kuban offensive. Yesterday, the German radio admitted that Soviet troops had penetrated to the north-eastern suburbs of the city. Bq the capture of Novorossisk the German position in the Kuban is made dangerous. Their main supply base is lost and their line of retreat by sea is cut off. Tiie Russians have now two large ports in the Black Sea at their disposal. Novorossisk, which is restored to them, has a fine harbour for shel-

tering large naval units besides being the main port for shipments of grain, cement, timber, and oil. Batum, the other, large port in Russian hands, has a floating dock and repair facilities for the Red Fleet. The two ports are connected by a magnificent highway. Colonel-General Petrov, who once commanded the Sebastopol garrison, was in charge of the land forces which captured Novorossisk. In honour of the victory a salvo of 124 guns was fired in Moscow, and at the same time the guns of the Black Sea Fleet, saluted the troops and ships responsible for the victory.

NEW OFFENSIVE BY RUSSIANS LONDON, September 16. In addition to its vast commitments, the Red Army apparently has opened a full-scale offensive on the Smolensk front. Berlin radio says the Russians between the Moscow-Roslavl and the Moscow-Smolensk highways have started an offensive aimed at breaking through to Smolensk. The radio admitted that the Russians had pushed the Germans back in a number of places, but claimed that the Russians had gained no operational successes. , , The radio also stated: An expected large-scale Russian attack was launched in the north sector yesterday. Heavy fighting raged south of Lake Ladoga against the northern belt of the German front encircling Leningrad Russian heavy artillery pounded the German positions on Sinyavino heights. “The attacks were stemmed after several hours of hard fighting. The Germans simultaneously heavily shelled Leningrad.” _____