RUSSIAN GAINS

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 December 1943, Page 5

RUSSIAN GAINS

CHERKASY OCCUPIED

KIEV AREA PROGRESS

LONDON, Dec. 14. The Berlin radio has announced that the German forces have evacuated Cherkasy, their chief remaining stronghold bn the Middle Dnieper. Moscow has not yet reported the la of Cherkasy. . „ ~ p For the second day running the Russians have more than held then own in the battle of the Kiev bulge. All day yesterday they were counterattacking hard in the Malm sector, 7 miles north-west of Kiev, and they again improved their positions. The battle is still har'd, but for four days now the enemy’s counter-offensive has been halted and his tanks and infantry have been forced to to i gV The d Germans are fighting strongly at the approaches to Kirovogiad., i the Dnieper bend, where the Red Army is threatening to drive a wedge between the German forces in the Dnffiper bend and the forces on the, Kiev? front. The Russian outflanking move against Kirovograd made further progress yesterday. The Germans now admit that the Russians are operating south-west of the city. The" Moscow correspondent ol the British United Press says decrease in the strength of the Get man attacks undoubtedly results from the terrific enemy losses since the counterdrive was launched on No vember 11. The Germans are now describing the Russian attacks as powA notable feature of the fighting is the improvement in flying conditions, and Soviet fighters are giving excellent cover and support to the ground troops. A correspondent says that the Soviet Air Force has always shown up well on this front whenever the weather has been suitable. J-jA 1 Ilia..

The Soviet occupation of Cherkassy was announced by the Moscow radio, when an order of the day by Stalin to General Koven was read: “Troops on the second Ukrainian front continuing the successful offensive to-day, as the result of strenuous’fighting, occupied Cherkassy, a large economic centre in the Ukiaine and an important centre of the German defence on the right bank of the Dnieper.

ADVANCE ON KIROVGRAD

LONDON, Dec. 14

Moscow radio states: A Russian advance in the direction of Kirpvgrad gained considerable ground m the past twenty-four hours. Outflanking of enemy strong points by Russian tanks is a feature in the fighting. “Red Star” reports: A serious breakdown occurred, in the German Intelligence Service in the Dnieper Bend. The Russians in capturing Chigrin cut an important road leading to the town from the south-west by a sudden thrust without the German Command knowing anything about it. German reinforcements and supplies continued for a considerable time to move along this road, only to oe wiped out or captured.

GERMAN VERSION

(Recd. 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, Dec. 14. With the fall of the Germans’ Middle Dnieper bastion of Cherkasy, which is officially announced by Mr. Stalin, the Red Army is able to exert heavier pressure than ever over the 150-mile front, from Cherkasy to Nikopol, endangering the whole German position in the Dnieper Bend. The evacuation of Cherkasy is a very severe setback for the Germans. They had been clinging to this important position—their only substantial foothold on the Dnieper River for 700 miles—in the hope of staging a coun-ter-offensive, but the pressure of the Russian advance was too much for them. The fall of Cherkasy will release a fresh flood of Russian forces against the Germans remaining in the Dnieper Bend. f To-day’s German communique says the evacuation of Cherkasy, which had been completely destroyed, for a long time past, was carried out in full order, without the loss of men or material. The ruins of the town were completely mined. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent declares the German position in South Russia is deteriorating. The Red Army has been supplemented by the forces released from Cherkasy, and the battle is surging on towards Kirovgrad, one spearhead being 14 miles north of the town. The Russians are assembling great concentrations of artillery and heavy tanks to smash the enemy’s defences at Kirovgrad, which is likely soon to fall.

GERMAN PREDICAMENT

(Rec. 12.50 p.m.) LONDON, Dec. 14. The whole situation in the Dnieper Bend looks highly unpromising for the enemy in the immediate future, says Reuter. Von Mannstein is faced with three distinct Russian thrusts. He informed each local commander that he must rely on his own resources. The Russians captured a German order in which von Mannstein stated: “1 cannot promise speedy-reinforcements.” The change in the fortunes in the Kiev bulge prevents the German Command switching mobile panzers to help the three sectors in the Dnieper Bend which are under threat of isolation from Russian spearheads—Cherkasy, Kirovgrad. and Krivoi Rog. The British United Press Moscow correspondent reports that Russian heavy guns are shelling German strongpoints on the outskirts of Kirovgrad from the newly-won high ground 10 miles north ot the city. Three Russian columns are closing on the city.

“Red Star” says the Russians in the past 24 hours dislodged the enemy from several more inhabited places on the Kirovgrad front. The Russians are meeting stubborn enemy resistance. The Germans are launching repeated counter-attacks, all of which were repelled with heavy losses. “The Times’s” Moscow correspondent declares that while the result of the staunchness of the Red Army artillery in the Kiev salient battle is gradually going in the Russians’ favour it is premature to assume the danger is wholly averted. The Germans in the past 24 hours were able to gather sufficient strength for a series of counter-attacks, but these were on a smaller scale and over a narrower front.

ANOTHER OFFENSIVE

A new Red Army offensive, with six infantry divisions and two tank corps was launched on the south Neval front yesterday, according to the Berlin radio, which added that the German positions on the eastern wing of thß! front had to be temporarily evacuated under pressure of a violent Russian artillery barrage. It is officially announced at Moscow that the Russians evacuated Radomysl, 27 miles north-east of Jitomir. „ . .

To-night’s Soviet communique states: The Red Army west of Kremenchug continued the offensive and occupied a number of inhabited places, including Shavalniki, Borovitsa, Pogoreltsy, and in the Kirovgrad sector occupied several inhabited places.! The Russians southwest of Malin repelled infantrv and Pink attacks, inflicting heavy losses. South of Malin the Red Army evacuated Madomysl. The Berlin radio stated that the

Luftwaffe’s attacks prevented the major Red Army forces crossing the Sivash Sea to the Crimea. Moscow correspondents report that guerrilla activities have reached tremendous proportions in the Crimea. Caves, stretching for miles underground ne; r Kerch, have become the guerrillas’ headquarters, although the Germans have many times tried to “smoke them out” with explosives.