BIG FORCE EMPLOYED

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 1, 3 January 1944, Page 5

BIG FORCE EMPLOYED

LONDON, January 2. A Russian Order of the Day announced that the recapture of Zhitomir occurred as a result of a violent infantry offensive and a skilful outflanking tank manoeuvre. The formations which carried this out were seven infantry divisions, one tank cor^s, one motorised corps, seven tank brigades, two tank regiments, and a number of artillery regiments and divisions. Moscow celebrated the capture of Zhitomir with 20 salvoes from 224 guns. A Soviet communique says: "West and north-west of Nevel the Russians fought their way forward and captured 28 places. The First Ukrainian Army Group, continuing the offensive, captured Barasshi, in Zhitomir Province, Samgorodok, in Vinnitsa Province, Volodarka and Gribenki, in Kiev Province, the railway junctions of Byelokorvichi (27 miles from the 1939 Polish frontier), and Pogrebishche, and more than 300 other places. "On all fronts in the previous day's fighting 78 enemy tanks were destroyed or disabled." The Russians are known to have captured Sokolov, 30 miles beyond Zhitomir, and only 20 miles from Novograd Volynsk. Samgorodok is 27 miles north-east of Vinnitsa, and Volodarka is 50 miles further east and 22 miles south-west of Belaya Tserkov, The capture of Volodarka is a big enlargement of what is still known as the Kiev bulge, though the Russians are 100 miles west and south-west Of Kiev.