RUSSIAN ADVANCES

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 August 1943, Page 6

RUSSIAN ADVANCES

NEW DRIVE IN NORTH GERMAN STAND AT KHARKOV LONDON, August 17.In their drive on Bryansk the Russians yesterday advanced another five to nine miles and captured a place about 17 miles east of the city. The northern wing of the offensive yesterday captured Zhizdra, 40 miles east-north-east of Bryansk on the railway ’to Moscow, and the souther? wing, moving towards the BryanskKharkov railway, was 30 miles from Bryansk. Attacks from the Spasdemensk direction, midway between Vyazma and Bryansk, carried the Russians forward from five to seven miles yesterday. The Germans are putting up a stubborn resistance and are bringing up reinforcements. The Berlin radio’s military commentator (Captain Sertorius) says that a new element has entered the situation on the Russian front as a result of the extension of the Soviet offensive northwards from the Mos-cow-Smolensk highway. He says that the Russians on Sunday attacked Byelyi, 80 miles north-east of Smolensk, with several infantry divisions and tank brigades. He also reported that strong Russian forces were striking against the German lines in the Velizh sector. Velizh is 65 miles north-west of Smolensk, half-way to Velikyc Luki. “The Russians are far superior in this sector,” he added. . 4 “Red Star” says this morning that a very tense battle is going on round Kharkov. The Germans are doing their utmost to hold the city and have rushed up considerable reserves. Bitter fighting is going on in the suburbs and also in the area of the Poltava-Kiev railway. Last night’s Soviet communique said: “The Russians in the Bryansk direction to-day advanced from five to nine miles and occupied over l.>o inhabited localities, including Zhizdra. The places occupied also include Malyeluki. which is eight and a half miles west of Karachev. The Russians advanced from five to seven miles from the Spasdemensk direction and occupied over 30 inhabited localities, including Tserkoushchma, 10 miles south-west of Spasdemensk. The Russians in the Kharkov area beat off German counter-attacks.” . The Stockholm correspondent of “The Times” says that fierce battles preceded the capture of Zhizdra, froni where the Russians are pressing to the south-west. There is heavy lighting also between Kirov and the Desna River. A formidable Russian force between Spasdemensk and Elnya, he adds, provides effective flank protection against any German drive from Smolensk. Another report says that the Russians have pressed further towards the great Byelya Berega power-sta-tion, midway between Karachev and Bryansk. • The power station is the sole source of power for Bryansk and a large area thereabouts. The state of the plant when the Germans seized it and also its present condition alter two years of German occupation is unknown, but it is believed that it is still very important to Bryansk and the Germans. Both the Russian pincers are keeping pace with the central attack against Bryansk, and the long list of places captured, including villages in all sectors, is clear evidence of the Russian co-ordination. GERMANS’ - FIRM STAND RUGBY, August 17. The Germans have apparently decided to make a firm stand in suburbs of Kharkov, especially in one sector, where huge heavy reserves arrived, allowing them to support each counter-attack by 50 Panzers, despite continuing heavy losses, says a Moscow message. In another sector very stubborn resistance was crushed when the Red Army broke through the defence line in process of construction on the bank of a river. Advanced Soviet units forded the river, bringing the retreating enemy under deadly nrc from both banks. The enemy sustained very heavy losses. A military commentator in London says: It is' inevitable the Germans should try to hold the line on this front, as defeat would endanger the whole of the positions in the Donetz Basin.

On the Bryansk front, according to another Moscow message, a swift Soviet advance south-west, of Spas increased the danger to Bryansk itself. The Germans, resisting savagely, threw in three Panzer Divisions, which were somewhat battered in recent fighting, to reinforce their troops. Large numbers of enemy tanks are supporting an enemy counter-attack in the effort to prevent the necessity for a hasty evacuation of Bryansk. GERMAN REINFORCEMENTS. (Rec. 11.45 a.in.) LONDON, Aug. 17. Russian forces have driven within 15 miles of the German central front base of Bryansk. Despite desperate German counter-attacks, the Red Army continues to advance and the battle is expected to move swiftly to the outskirts of Bryansk. In the Ukraine heavy battles are being fought as the Germans, freshly reinforced, make a determined bid to hold Kharkov. “Red Star” reports that the Germans have flung in considerable reserves of crack troops in one sector of the Kharkov front and that the tensest battles are raging. The Germans are attempting to improve their positions by counter-at-tacks with infantry, supported by groups of 40 tanks and 50 planes. The Moscow radio’s military commentator, Colonel Vassilev, says the Germans in the Kharkov area are hastily preparing new defence lines and bringing up reinforcements in an unbroken stream, especially tanks and artillery units. The enemy, however, has failed to stem the Red Army’s onslaughts. Hard fighting continues in all sectors on the Kharkov front, and is particularly bitter in the city area and along the Khar-kov-Poltava railway.