RED ARMY ROLLS ON

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 4, 30 September 1943, Page 5

RED ARMY ROLLS ON

Near Gomel

(By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright.) LONDON, September 28. The major developments in the Red Army’s offensive during today were the capture of a point over 30 miles west of Smolensk, and other substantial advances on a broad front toward MogileV and also to Within only 10 miles from Gomel, while furious battles went on along t ,,8 middle Dnieper for Russian and German bridgeheads at various points on the two banks of the great river.

The Red Army’s advance into White Russia, which is termed the key to loland and the Baltic Slates, is assuming triumphal proportions, states Reuter s Moscow correspondent. Four day.s alter the capture of Smolensk thousands of Russians are advancing ou a front of over 200 miles well on the road to the key towns, Mogilev, Orsha, and Vitebsk, three vital points in the advance toward Minsk, the capital of White Russia and anchor of the old Minsk-Odessa line. ■A Moscow correspondent says the Russians are closing in fast on Gomel. To the south, a huge, army of paratroops is forming up behind the Russian lines to join in the battle for the Dnieper. This will be the first major test for Russia’s great parachute army,, which is probably the finest in the world. Already souie of these paratroops have landed beyond the western bank of the Dnieper. They lire contesting lhe Berman attempt to wipe out the bridgeheads over the river which have been established by the Russian forces. Gaps in Dnieper Line.

The Moscow “Izvestia” says German reserves which were brought long distaiices in an attempt to seal great gaps iu the Dnieper line are being thrown into battle without rest. The Germans are constantly counter-attacking without success. Their reinforcements already have received a number of crushing blows. According to- the Stockholm ‘Svenska Dagbladet’s” Berlin correspondent, a military spokesman in the Av illielm-

strasse said it must not be taken for granted that the Dnieper marks the line along which German troops will establisu a fast defence. . The struggle for the Dnieper crossings is developing into an extended battle along the whole 300-mile stretch .of the river from Kiev to Zaporozhe in which the Red Army is being aided by mass assaults from Soviet planes, lhe Russians « have a firm grip on the east bank 01. the Dnieper on wide stretches of Lhe river, but very fierce fighting is going ou on some sectors for the remaining bridgeheads. . , , .. , The latest front-lme reports state. that the Red Army has established a bridgehead on the west bank between Kiev and Cherkasy, but there is no official confirmation of this so far.

Reuter’s Moscow correspondent reports that three Russian forces have begun crossing the river opposite Dnepropetrovsk, where Berlin radio tonight admitted the Russians had launched a largescale attack.

Reuter says that assault forces are swarming across the remains ot two railway bridges spanning the river, lhe Russians are also using small islands as step-ping-stones for an assault which is covered by a shuttle service of fighter planes and a heavy artillery barrage. • Meanwhile, at the other two key bridgeheads —opposite Kiev and nt Kremenchug—the Germans have brought up tresa divisions. Air Warfare Intensified.

Reuter adds that the Germans have also increased their air support, hfj ll * g a tremendous concentration of artillery but that their resistance is gradually being worn down. , , . . „ Kremenchug, on the east bank ot the Dnieper, is being taken into a steadilynarrowing grip. The Russians are closing in from the north-east, where they are only five miles distant, and also from the east and north. The German news agency reported tonight that the Russians were attempting to occupy in strength some of the Dnieper islands north of Kiev and also were endeavouring to build a pontoon bridge under cover of night. , Moscow radio said that Soviet planes of all types were providing enormous assistance to the troops at the approaches to the Dnieper. "They are intensifying the blows against the Dnieper crossings to which the retreating Germans are rushing,” it said. , , ~ At the southern end of the long trout the German news agency reported a fierce battle on the outskirts of a suburb ot Melitopol. The news agency claimed that Russian attacks had been held m violent defensive fighting. The agency also reported a new Russian attack on the n-U--ban bridgehead, where the Russians attempted to land reinforcement;; south ot the Taman Peninsula.