PRISONERS AND BOOTY

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 114, 9 February 1944, Page 5

PRISONERS AND BOOTY

(By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —copyright.! LONDON, February 8. Red Army troops today are battering their way house by house and street by street through Nikopol, the important manganese mining centre near the tip of the Dnieper bend, lhe Russians’ aim is to smash the five German divisions which are cut oft in this drea. . . . , Russian forces are already reported to have reached the crossing which the Germans built over the Dnieper between Nikopol and the small German-held area on the south bank. Red Army tanks and infantry on this sector yesterday killed more than SUUU of the enemy. The routed Germans from Apostolovo are still in disorganized retreat toward the river, and the Russians on their heels are gathering in many more prisoners and abandoned equipment*The even greater battle of encirclement below the middle Dnieper is continuing furiously with the Germans, bombarded but counter-attacking, suffering terrific losses. Only a small number from the original 10 divisions are expected to emerge alive from the battle inside the trap.

North-west of Novo Sokolniki the Russians have renewed their drive toward the Latvian border. They have killed 3000 of the enemy and taken a large number of prisoners. Farther north fighting is reported in the eastern suburbs of .Narva. Control of the Gulf.

A German military spokesman has admitted that the Germans are gradually losing control of the Gulf of Finland, says the “Daily Mail’s” Stockholm correspondent. Russian control of the gult would mean the Red. Baltic Fleet taking over the command of the German iron ore routes from Sweden. Dispatches from Berlin quote the spokesman as saying: “The risk of encirclement of our forces near the Gult or Finland is obvious, and reserves have been rushed to Narva to hold the city at any cost. Its loss would mean the loss of the key to Estonia, the result of which would be immediately apparent.” , A German radios war correspondent in north Russia declares that the Russians hurled into, the Baltic offensive 40 infantrv divisions and more than 1000 tanks, “which seems to us like an enormous fist suddenly stretching out its fingers in five directions. We have to husband our forces, economize in, manpower, and carry out evasive action so that we are as successful as possible in the defensive. The enemy is now pressing his main weight toward Narva.” Last night’s Soviet communique states: “The Russians south of Siversky made, a fighting advance and occupied several inhabited places, and also north and northwest of Sokolniki occupied more than 80 inhabited localities. . . “The Russians north of Svenigordoka and Shpola continued the fight for the annihilation of the German groups and further tightened the encircling ring, capturing five places. The Russians in the Dnieper bend continued to battle for the annihilation of the enemy, group cutoff in the area north of Nikopol. Our troops closed in against Nikopol and engaged the enemy in the outskirts-of the town.”

A Russian supplementary communique states: “West of Svenigorodka the enemy, with fresh reserves, again tried to break through to help his encircled ■divisions, but a (Russian counter-blow threw the Germans -back. About 800 enemy dead and 32 disabled and burntout tanks remained on the battlefield. “South of Apostolovo the routed, disorganized German, units are, retreating, abandoning arms and equipment. The Germans, making desperate efforts to hold Nikopol, are digging tanks and selfpropelled guns into the ground and using them as fixed firing-points.”. Possible New Traps. LONDON, February 7. The German positions throughout the Dnieper are are rapidly collapsing, says Reuter's Moscow correspondent. A Russian column striking southward threatens to cut off a third great German force west of Nikopol. The Russians have also forced the German garrison in Krivoi Rog into a precarious position. Other Russian forces are making a rapid advance toward Kherson.

The German divisions trapped on the Kanev sector are being split up by deep t,-edges and pounded by artillery. Infil-. tration by guerrillas, who are using harassing tactics, is also helping to undermine the resistance of the encircled formations. A'correspondent says that this German •army in Kanev is dying under a neverending rain of shells. Nearly 100,000 men are counter-attacking repeatedly in vain attempts to break out.

Thousands of Soviet guns arj already in action and mobile guns rushed up from the rear are now. taking up positions on the western edge, where the Germans are counter-attacking desperately. Night and day a torrent of shrieking shells is pouring down on the -German remnants,_ grinding the enemy to powder. Nothing even approaching this holocaust has ever previously been seen on the Russian front, though many horrible sights have beep witnessed since the war began. General Koniev is reported to have eent a surrender ultimatum to the German forces.

Junkers transport planes are still bringing in vital supplies and flying out important officers, and a battle is being continuously fought between Russian fighters and the lumbering German trans.port planes, of which a heavy toll is being taken.

The huge haul of booty counted so far on the Third Ukrainian Front (Krivoi Rog-Nikopol area) as a result of the latest offensive, comprises more than 150 ears and lorries and nearly 1000 guns. The Germans at Apostolovo alone abandoned -15 tanks, 130 guns. 15 mobile guns. 3000 cars and lorries, 14 railway Engines and manv goods wagons. Offensive in Mud.

In the . new Soviet offensive on the lower Dnieper, front line reports say, the Germans were flabbergasted by the fact that the Russians attacked at all, for the conditions were most unsuitable. It had been raining for several dajs. The snow had thawed on the steppes, ditches and streams had overflowed, roads were almost impassable, and airfields were deep in mud. , The Germans, when they recovered from their surprise, put up stiff resistance. In some places they threw in 100 tanks on narrow sectors, but the Soviet infantry, crossing slushy fields and flooded streams, fought their way forward doggedly. Guns and tanks managed to keep up with them, and Soviet airmen somehow managed to strafe the enemy through the.low clouds, mist and rain.