SMOLENSK’S FALL

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 1, 27 September 1943, Page 5

SMOLENSK’S FALL

Biggest German Loss On Russian Front WEAKENING OF DEFENCE EAST OF POLAND

(By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Received September 26, 7 p.m.) m' After two years and one month in German occupation, Smolensk —described by Marshal Stalin tonight as “the most important strategical centre of the enemy s defence in the western direction”—has fallen to the Russian arms. The evacuation of this city and also of Roslavl, to the south-east, was admitted earlier in the day by the Germans. Referring to the significance of the evacuations, the British United Press says that Smolensk was the principal German base in Russia for two years. It is the biggest defeat the Germans so far have suffered in Russia. Herr Hitler made Smolensk his headquarters in the autumn of 1941 when he was planning what he believed would be the final assault aeainst Moscow. _ —

The Germans' entire system of communications linking up their central front is now imperilled. If they intend to hold the Russians east of Poland they must fight in the open country between Smolensk and Poland, where nothing has been reported yet of a specially-prepared defence line. “The latest Soviet offensive means that the German army on the western sector of the front is being cut off from the south, says Moscow radio. “The Germans, as a result of their heavy defeat in the western, central and southern regions, have lost considerably more territory than all the territory they have occupied in western Europe. ’ i . »»• The Berlin correspondent of the Stockholm “Tidnmgen suggests that the 700-mile line from Riga, the Latvian port, to Odessa, on the Black Sea, may be chosen for the stand. The German news agency\ military writer says that the German High Command is aiming to bring about a correction of the Russian front, which has completely changed the face of the war.

This news agency stated that the evacuation of Smolensk was decided on three weeks ago as part of the grand strategy. All important supplies were moved out before the defensive battle reached a climax. A German radio commentator, referring to the evacuation of Smolensk and other centres on the Itussian front, said: “We have given up considerable territory in the east. This was not done 'because we did not want these vast regions, but as a direct consequence of the Soviet offenshive. We had decided upon mobile warfare in order to eliminate our losses as far as possible and to inflict .the greatest possible losses on the enemy.” Two railways enter Smolensk from the west and three carry traffic to the cast. These, says Reuter will now ■be available to the Russians for the. transport of supplies and reinforcements at a time when the rains are beginning to make the roads impassable. Roslavl, midway between Smolensk and Bryansk, is not over-import-ant strategically or* industrially but the Germans had strongly fortified it aS a part of the Desna line on which they intended to stay for the winter. The German High Command announced tins morning that Smolensk and Roslavl were evacuated last night without enemy interference after the destruction of all important \Var installations. Moscow officially announced their capture 12 hours later. Stalin’s Announcement. Marshal Stalin, in an order of the day, states: “Troops of the western front, continuing the successful offensive, crossed the River Dnieper and, after stubborn fighting, took by storm(today a large regional centre, the town of Smolensk. Furthermore, today troops of the western front, after two days of fierce fighting, broke the enemy’s resistance and occupied an operational -and important communication point and powerful centre of the enemy’s defence in the 'Mogilev direction, the town of Roslavl.” Smolensk fell to the Germans on August 15, 1941, only 55 days after the invasion of Russia. Its capture then cost the* lives of thousands of Hitler’s best troops. The Germans constructed a vast nnd intricate system round Smolensk, Which was then thought to be invulnerable. Both Marshal Timoshenko and General Khukov led the Russian armies back to the gates of the city in December, 1941, and in February, 1942, the

second advance being stopped only after the Germans had launched 30 coun-ter-attacks. • Heuter's Moscow correspondent yesterday stated that five Red Army columns were advancing against Smolensk over a semicircle running from north to south. The Germans were then reported to be evacuating Katyn, 15 miles west of Smolensk.