BATTLE IN VITEBSK

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 230, 27 June 1944, Page 5

BATTLE IN VITEBSK

Triple Soviet Offensive Going Well

LONDON, June 26. Moscow correspondents give descriptions of the great Russian, assault on Vitebsk, the German main fortress in White Russia, where the Germans who are holding out in the centre of the city are under constant attack from Russian tommy-gunners and gren-. ade-throwers. The Red Air Force is also using midget bombers against the Germans. Five German infantry divisions have been encircled in the Vitebsk area and Reuter s Moscow correspondent says they are steadily being ground to pieces. t More than 8000 Germans have been killed in two days fighting south of Vitebsk, according to an official report from Moscow. Three great Russian armies, along the 125 miles front from north-west of Vitebsk to south-west of Mogilev, in a full-scale assault against the Vitebsk-Orsha-Mogilev line, have already broken the strong defence round all three towns, said the British United Press Moscow correspondent yesterday.

A Soviet communique says: “The Russians west of Vitebsk forced the Dvina River over a 20-mile front, and fought their way into 150 places. The Russians east of Babainovichi cut the highway from Vitebsk to Do pel. which is 65 miles south-west of Vitebsk, captured more than 300 places and linked up with, the troops operating west of Vitebsk. “The Red Army in the course of the offensive has thus completed the encirclement of a German group of five infantry divisions in the Vitebsk area and engaged the enemy in street lighting. “The Russians continued the offensive on the Orsha sector, and captured 40 places, including the railway station of Klyushkino, nine miles north-east of Orsha.” Moscow reports that Russian planes have heavily raided the railway stations of Polotsk and Obol, 12 miles south-east of Polotsk. Correlated Assault. (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) LONDON, June 25. The new offensive was not fully opened till General Bagramyan’s First Baltic Army had broken through north-west and south-east of Vitebsk, The success of this attack was the signal for a correlated assault, and two more equallyspaced Russian armies started to direct hammer blows against the Orsha and Mogilev areas. Bagramyan’s troops west of Vitebsk have established a great bulge along the western Dvina River where the river dips southward behind the fortress city. The Russians south of Vitebsk have driven another bulge across the railway line to Orsha.

General Cherny ekov’s men, further south of Vitebsk, have not only smashed through to the approaches of the upper Dnieper, but have also captured Zoazerye, five miles south-west of Vitebsk.

The third part of the Russian offensive against what the Germans call the “Fatherland Line,” because it is nearest Germany, is being pressed home on the Mogilev sector where the Red Army, after forcing the Pronya River, is advancing against Mogilev itself. The Russians are at present operating in difficult country and infested swamps, but guerrillas already dominate the areas and arc waiting to co-operate with the regulars. Of the Germans' original White Russian defence line, which stretched for IGO miles, only from 20 to 30 miles remain intact, says Reuter’s Moscow correspondent. Germans Being Squeezed. The Germans on the sectors which are still holding out are being squeezed into local defence zones guarding Vitebsk, Orsha and Mogilev. Marshal Stalin tonight issued two orders of the day announcing fresh successes in White Russia. The first said that troops of the Second White Russia Front had smashed the German defences covering Mogilev along a sector of 28 miles, thus widening the gap in the enemy’s lines to 45 miles. In three days the Russians on this front have advanced up to about 20 miles and have captured more than 200 places. In a second order of the day Marshal Stalin said: “Troops of the First White Russian Front, south-west of Zhlobin, penetrated the enemy’s defences covering Bobruisk over <i 23-mile front, extended the breach to 50 miles, and advanced 20 miles. Simultaneously, the Rusisans north of Rogachev crossed the Druit River over a 20-mile trout and advanced eight miles.” More than -100 inhabited places were captured north of Rogachev, including Ozerani, 22 miles north-east of Bobruisk. The Russians have cut the railway from Bobruisk to Luminets at Moshna, a station 22 miles south-west of Bobruisk. Moscow radio, quoting a dispatch from the Vitebsk front, said that the muchvaunted Vitebsk defences had been pierced. The Red Army is smashing the minefields, barbed wire entanglements and pillboxes which the Germans built during the lull. Luftwaffe formations were being cut to ribbons. Threat io Borisov. The front is now rapidly moving toward the important town of Borisov, says Reuters Moscow correspondent. Three great waves of Russian troops are overwhelming what was the Germans’ strongest line on the eastern front. The Germans are losing men heavily in savage fighting south of Vitebsk. The Exchange Telegraph agency’s Moscow correspondent says that the Germans yesterday launched 20 counter-attacks supported by panzers north-west of Vitebsk, but failed everywhere to halt the Russian advance. The Russians, by a gradual outflanking of vital German bastions, have laid the foundations for much greater successes. The German news agency reported the extension of the Russian offensive to Bobruisk. Von Hammer said the German lines “had been withdrawn before a new Russian drive to break through to Bobruisk.” He added that, the Russians, in their new offensive, were using bigger masses of men nnd material than ever before. At least 80 infantry divisions and one tank force were in action between Bobruisk and A itebsk. “the Russians have been ordered to break through the Gorman lines in ffrtiud style, regardless of losses.” he said.

FINNISH POLICY; Tentative Negotiation (From Godfrey Blunden, Special Correspondent.) STOCKHOLM. June 24. Finland is to be prepared to reach an agreement with Russia to prevent loss of more territory to the Red Army. Finnish peace negotiations probably began before Viborg fell on Tuesday. The Stockholm Communist newspaper “Ku Dag” says the reorganized Finnish Government will be predominantly Social Democrat. But tfie real power behind the new Government is believed- to-be Marshal Mannerheim. The Stockholm newspaper “Morgen Tidingeu” says Viborg fell more rapidly than it need have, if Finnish military resources had been fully employed. The newspaper interprets this to mean that the Finnish High Command is willing to reach an agreement. It says the Finns yielded to Russia that part of Karelia which the Russians demanded during the peace negotiations last March. It remains to be seen whether Marshal Stalin will halt at this territorial border, or whether he will find it more expedient to push on deeper into Finland. If he decides to push on. no change in the Finnish Government will make any difference, and the Finnish Army will continue to contest the Russians at all points rather than capitulate. On the other hand, by reaching an agreement with the Finns, Marshal Stalin may find the Finnish Army useful in isolating or interning the German Army in north Finland. The Germans have been unable to render any aid to the Finns in the present fight, except for a few fighter planes, which have been ineffective against the strengthened Russian Air Force. This changed situation is directly due to the heavy calls upon German manpower as a result of the fighting in Normandy and Italy.