MILLION MEN THE STAKE

Evening Star, Issue 25004, 25 October 1943, Page 3

MILLION MEN THE STAKE

Great Russian Trap Sprung

Melitopol Vast German Graveyard Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright (Eec. 11.45 a.m.) LONDON, October 24. By swamping the German garrison at Melitopol after 11 days of the most ferocious street fighting of the Russian war, the Red army has accomplished half of Stalin's master plan for envelopment of the entire German southern- armies. Melitopol was the pivot of the southern front, and its capture leaves the gateway to the Crimea wide open. Reuter's Moscow correspondent says Melitopol's fall springs one jaw. of the trap set for the 1,000,000 German's within the Crimea and Dnieper bend, while the Germans' admission of withdrawal before Krivoi Rog reveals the strength the Russians are throwing into the development of the other jaw which is being formed as the result of the original break-through south-east of Kremenchug. Berlin radio said the German positions before Krivoi Rog were withdrawn as the result of enemy ;. pressure. The British United Press says Melitopol's cellars, attics, and causeways are cluttered with German dead; the city's pavements are red with blood, and smashed German tanks lie askew.on the roads. The Germans burned clown the western part of the city, and the remainder has been wrecked by shells and bombs' Melitopol is a vast graveyard, in which lie tens of thousands of German corpses. There is an almost uncanny- calm now in Melitopol after the incessant chatter of the machine guns and the crash of 'artillery, says Reuter. Melitopol was a second Stalingrad, with one vital difference—the attackers won. The irresistible Red army is allowing the enemy no respte, for the Russians are sweeping the Germans before them from shattered Melitopol as they fight westwards over a country which is almost devoid of roads. Streams of Russian tanks and guns are pouring westwards, while the Red air force is harrying the retreating "Germans. . Fighting in the other jaw of the trap in the Dnieper Bend is being maintained at tremendous intensity. The Russians are throwing in everything—even Polish women tommy-" gunners' are fighting with the Red army on this sector. Paris radio stated to-night that a vicious battle is raging inside Krivoi Rog. It added that Russian tanks forced the Germans to retreat before Krivoi Rog.

The German>controlled Scandinavian Telegraph Bureau declared that immense Russian and German forces are piling up south of Kremenchug for what threatens to be the greatest battle of the war. The Red army has not massed such great forces since it started the drive against Orel. The German leaders will have to squeeze every ounce of strength from tfteir troops in order to avoid a huge catastrophe.

The military writer of the Stockholm newspaper ' Svenska Dagbladet 'says: " After four months of retreats, it would not be surprising if the Germans showed signs of tiring."

To-night's Soviet communique states that the Red army in. the Melitopol area continued to extend the breach in the enemy's lines, and in the Krivoi Rog sector advanced four to six miles and occupied over 50,places, including Lozovatka, six miles north of Krivoi Rog, and the rail station at Terny.