FOUR NAZI DIVISIONS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 67, 16 September 1943, Page 5

FOUR NAZI DIVISIONS

ROUTED BY RUSSIANS

LONDON, September 15

The Russians sweeping towards Kiev have routed four German divisions in a battle to the south of Bakhmach, according to the "Red Star," which was quoted by Moscow radio. "So far it is known that several thousand Germans were wiped out and more than 1000 taken prisoner, while large quantities of war material were destroyed or captured," the report stated. Vichy radio said that the Russians in the Donets area have brought up reinforcements and, attacking with strong formations of tanks, achieved local breaches in the German lines. Violent fighting is going on west, of Krasnograd and Pavlograd. The German covering force in Bryansk is still holding back the advancing Russians, preventing them from reaching the centre of the city, the radio said.

Reuters Moscow correspondent said that observers in Moscow believe the German garrison of Bryansk is still fighting at some points in a bitter attempt to stave off the inevitable end.

Russian flying columns, sweeping along the coast of the Sea of Azov, are now within striking distance of Berdyansk. A supplementary Moscow, communique says Soviet marines made a surprise landing on the Azov shore on Monday night and killed 800 retreating Germans. A report from Stockholm says that Field-Marshal yon Kluge, eommander-in-chief of the German armies on the central Russian front, was severely wounded in the left shoulder during the Bryansk fighting.