GREAT RUSSIAN SURGE

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 306, 21 September 1943, Page 5

GREAT RUSSIAN SURGE

Successes On Seven Fronts GROWING IMPETUS (By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright.! (Received September 20, 8.30 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 20. The Red Army has surged forward from north of Smolensk to the Black Sea and, on the latest communiques, has freed nearly 1200 towns and villages, which surpasses even the large totals recorded on the previous few days. The advances made during yesterday varied from six to 1 8 miles on seven fronts. Writing last night, Reuter’s Moscow corresponent stated: "The Red Army tonight is flooding through hundreds of townships and villages in a great war of movement. The army on many sectors of the front has robbed the Germans of the power to do anything except yield stubbornly and bitterly one line of the pains-takingly-built fortifications after another. The “Red Star,” commenting on the general German retreat, says; “We have been waiting for this for a long time, and we have been long prepared for it. We have only one way—forward westwards!”

In a fonr-day battle in the outer defences of Smolensk the Russians, in the terms of an order of the day which was issued yesterday by Marshal Stalin, “broke down a strongly-fortified enemy defence zone erected long ago which closed the so-called ‘Smolensk gate.' ”

They are now less than 30 miles north-east of the city, battering at the Germans on Napoleon’s road of retreat. The Red Army has forced the Desna River north-west of Bryansk and also advanced 20 miles west of Bryansk, and by capturing Trubchevsk has crossed tlie river at a new point south-west ot Bryansk. . , . , It is reported to be within several miles of Chernigov, TO miles south of Gomel, thus nearing the middle Dnieper, and has captured ITiluki and liryatni, about 00 miles east of Kiev, lhe westernmost forces are 40 miles north-east of Kiev. Nearer Crimea Railway. Krasnograd, 50 miles south-west of Kharkov, has been taken. Bast of tne Dnieper bend, the Russians are now only 30 miles from the only railway which supplies Hitler's army in the Crimea. The Russians in the Kuban have captured a mountain pass. The Red Army is now aiming gigantic blows against the bastions of Smolensk and Kiev. "The Times” says that events have moved swiftly in the past four days and compares the Russian advance to an advancing tide which “flows inexorably forward, turning isolating and ultimately submerging the islands of resistance which it encounters, pouring swiftly forward at some points, at others banking up to break through and over obstacles. The Russians are surging on toward Kiev. On the northern and southern flanks of their wedge stratetgically important positions continue to fall into the Russian hands.

The Dnieper River will not save the Germans, bioscow radio promised last night, adding: “The enemy will not be given any respite. The Germans think the Dnieper will act as a barrier to save their armies, but the victorious Red Army’s impetus is growing. We are sweeping forward and nearing Kiev. Two Russian armies are racing for the honour of being the first to reach the Dniener. says Reuter. General Menilovsky’s” troops striking for the Dnieper

bend are now only 24 miles from Zaporozhe, while General Rokossovsky’s army is within four miles of Chernigov, which is only 30 miles from the Dnieper, north of Kiev. The front of the whole offensive, from the Smolensk sector to the Sea of Azov and across the ’Taman Peninsula, is now between SOO and 000 miles. The greatest progress since the offensive began two months ago is 200 miles in the centre, while 150 miles have been gained in the Donetz Basin and 130 miles in the Bryansk area.

PAVLOGRAD FIRED [Received September 20, 7.30 p.m.) LONDON, September 10. Pavlograd, which was recaptured yesterday, has joined the long list of scarred and blackened cities which the liberated population must start rebuilding. Reuter says that German snipers and tommygunners right up to the last minute acted as rearguards to hold off the, insweeping 'Russians while what remained of Pavlograd was set on fire. 'The Russians fought to eject the Germans swiftly from Pavlograd, killing hundreds of German motor-cyclists armed with tommyX'Uiis, and the strcots were strewn, ■wilh enemy dead and smashed' transport. 3he population, crawliex from, cellars and dug-outs, helped i Ihe final eviction ot the ftiieiny, putting out tires and ‘tracking snipers.