DNIEPER LINE FORCED

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 86, 8 October 1943, Page 5

DNIEPER LINE FORCED

LONDON, October 7. The launching of a new Soviet offensive along the whole front :from the Vitebsk sector to the Taman peninsula is announced in ■tonight's Moscow communique. Three bridgeheads have been established across the Dnieper. In a special Order of the Day Marshal Stalin announces the [capture of Nevel, a vital key point, 60 miles to the north of Vitebsk. The Red Army's new offensive follows swiftly on the issue of the Order of the Day announcing the capture of the town of Nevel, 60 miles north of Vitebsk and astride of the vital railway which runs south of Leningrad into White Russia. Marshal Stalin's order emphasises the strategic importance of this victory.

This order says: "After the lull necessary for bringing up fresh troops from, the east, Soviet troops have again launched an offensive against the enemy along the whole front from the Vitebsk sector in White Russia to the Tainan peninsula in the extreme south. \ "Troops of the north Caucasian front are engaged in successfully liquidating the enemy bridgehead in the Taman Peninsula. The town and port of Taman and a large number of other places have been captured. Enemy troops who did not have time to evacuate the peninsula are being annihilated." The communique gives good news of the Dnieper front. It says: "In the middle Dnieper sector Soviet troops have successfully forced the river and captured bridgeheads at three places —north of Kiev, south of Pere Yaslav, and south-west of Kremenchug. "The Germans have launched strong counter-attacks against the Red Army troops across the Dnieper, but these are being repelled with heavy losses to the enemy. Step by step the Red Army troops are enlarging their" bridgeheads."

The bridgehead north of- Kiev is presumably the one the Germans have been mentioning lately near the mouth

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of the Pripet River. The one south of Pere Yaslav, that is, south-east of Kiev, is probably across a horse-shoe bend of the river. The communique gives further details of the attack on Nevel. It, says •that Soviet troops have broken through a strongly-defended German line on a 15-mile front to a depth of 15 miles. There were two days of hard fighting before they captured the town and railway junction of Nevel. They have also captured 100 other places in this area. The Soviet communique also gives news of a victory in the north. It says that on the Volkhov front Soviet troops north of a town and the railway junction broke through the enemy defences, advanced nine miles, and captured both the town and the junction as well as many other places.