ESCAPED PRISONERS RECAPTURED

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 115, 10 February 1944, Page 5

ESCAPED PRISONERS RECAPTURED

Reported Death Sentences LONDON, February 8. . The German news agency this morning, quoting a Rome source, stated that the Italian police had discovered six British prisoners of war in the Piedmont Alps. The prisoners were said to have been in hiding since the Italian armistice, and it was alleged that they had been terrorizing the local population. Five of them, said the report, had been sentenced to death. The British Government in a statement says that according to the German report these men are prisoners of war, and therefore are entitled to all the privileges and protection conferred on such prisoners by the Genera- Convention. The protecting Power, Switzerland, is being asked whether the German Government can confirm this report, and if so, to obtain and forward full particulars with the least possible delay. Under the Geneva Convention, if sentence of death is passed on a prisoner of war, full particulars must be sent as soon as possible to the protecting Power, and the sentence must not be carried out till three months from the date when the protecting Power receives notice of

it. The ‘‘Evening .Standard” points out that no prisoner who escapes or attempts to escape can be sentenced to death purely on that charge, but. if the men committed acts of sabotage or used their freedom to engage in espionage, the captors might be entitled to take strong aetion. *

;teel. offensive, routed the enemy ‘ today and carried Nikopol by assault. ’ Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says that the Germans, who are hastily retreating" south-westward, face a tremendous blow from the armies of Generals Vatutin, Koniev, Malinovsky and Tolbukhin, striking as one force. The Russions are fast turning the German retreat toward Kherson into a disorderly rout. The roads along which the Red Army is advancing everywhere show signs of precipitate flight. They are littered for miles with enemy equipment. Kherson Vulnerable. Kherson and Nikolaev, to which the Germans appear to be retreating, hold out little hope for the refugees. Kherson is particularly vulnerable, as a large Russian army stands on the opposite side of the Dnieper estuary. It is possible, however, that the Germans may attempt to stand at Nikolaev aud along the Bug River. . The 10 trapped German divisions in the Kanev pocket are now suffering from starvation, having been without bread for days." The divisions are compressed into an area of 100 square miles which the Russians are continuously shelling. The German discomfort is increased by heavy aerial bombardments and by guerrilla activity. Tonight’s Soviet communique says that south of Siversky the Russians today advanced and captured several inhabited localities, and north-west and north of Sokolniki they occupied several inhabited localities. North of iSvenigorodka aud Shpola they are tightening the ring round the Germans and have captured several localities. West of Svenigorodka they continued to repel counter-attacks made for the purpose of relieving the encircled troops. As the result of the. bridgehead fighting the Russians annihilated over 15,000 Germans and took over 2000 prisoners. A supplementary Moscow communique reports that the Soviet troops in the course of the fighting for the Dnieper bridgehead destroyed 53 tanks, 217 guns, 118 mortars. 370 machineguns, 1277 lorries, and 570 laden supply trucks, and captured 24 tanks, 392 guns. 180 mortars. 473 machineguns, over 4000 rifles, 1685 lorries. 86 tractors, 181 motorcycles. 118 laden supply trucks, 20 ammunition, food and equipment stores, and 18 radio stations.