RUSSIAN PRESSURE

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 March 1944, Page 5

RUSSIAN PRESSURE

GAINS ON MAIN FRONTS DRIVE AGAINST BALTI LONDON, March 23. The Russians are moving to clear the Germans from all the towel reaches of the river Bug, following the fall of Pervomaisk, a very strongly fortified German position which was taken by Soviet infantry in a long, hand-to-hand battle. From Pei\omaisk the Russians are moving down the Bug to Vosnesensk, while otnei forces come up from'the south. _ The scope of the Soviet offensives on the other sectors of the ■soiithern front is being widened. Wh’J.e Marshal Koniev’s centre is fighting loi Balti, his right, flank is moving up the Dniester from Mogilev Podolsk to Kamenents Podolsk. Marshal Zhukov’s drive towards Lwow is also being widened as he moves to the south and south-west, of Kremenez. The Germans, who have for some days been talking of Russian troop concentrations along the northern fronts, now report heavy Russian attacks, especially in the Vitebsk area. A German High Command communique to-day mentions lor the first time the fighting on the Dniester. It refers to heavy and fluctuating fighting against superior Russian numbeis. The Germans also admit that Russian tanks have broken into Kowel, which is on the railway between Rowno and Brest Litovsk. , Reports from Moscow say that, the Russians moving down from tne Dniester into Rumania are meeting stiffer resistance north ol Balti. ATTACKS TN CRIMEA. LONDON. March 23. The Vichy radio says: The Red Army stepped up the speed ol the advance in Bessarabia, and towaids the Cm pathians. The Russians have been li - able to surround the German forces, but they have broken through at several points, particularly in the Tai napol area. Battles ol particular violence are going on for wheie the German garrison is still holding firm. Russians in the penetration aiea, in spite of German air attacks, succeeded in bringing up considerable infantry forces. Rn«<sian Berlin radio reports. that Russian forces launched attacks m the Crimea. They made insignificant penetrations nem- Kerch. The attacks were repelled at the northern gateways to the Crimea.

UKRAINE ALMOST CLEARED. (Rec. 12.40) LONDON, March 23. k The Red Army is throwing the last Germans from Ukrainian soil. The new Russian offensive m the Pios kurov-Tarnopol area has advanced the front in that sector by 25 to 36 miles. The Russians are fighting a way into Nikolayev and have crossed the Bug River at Pervomaisk. The British United Press correspondent says: With the triple thrust over the 500-mile front, the Red Army is throwing the last Geiman divisions from the Ukraine. On the South Ukraine front the Germans hold on the east bank ol the Bug River, following the fall of Pervomaisk. has been reduced to a mere bridgehead. The Russians in the centre Ukraine front are pushing on over a 60 mile front against Rumania’s frontier, the Pruth River, while on the north sector of the Ukraine front the whole nose of the salient east of Lwow is moving towards that great German base. The Russians are ejecting the Germans from Nikolayev after night battles in which they routed the Germans from many strongpoints on the edge of the town. Fierce fighting is going on. but the issue is in no doubt. , x . Pervomaisk had been converted to a strong fortress, but Malinovsky s forces killed or captured almost the entire garrison. LATEST CAPTURES. (Rec 1.20) LONDON. March 24. A new offensive in the ProskurovTarnopol area was announced in tonight’s Russian communique. It says that several days ago troops of the First. Ukrainian Front resumed the offensive in the Prosukrov-Tarnopol sector and, alter breaking the enemy’s defences in three days’ fighting, advanced 25 to 36 miles ana captured the town and large rail -junction of Kopyczynce, 36 miles south-east of Tarnopol. It is the junction of the railways from Tarnopol and Proskurov with Cernauti. The Russians also captured Trembowla, on the Tarnopol-Cernauti railway, 18 miles south of Tarnopol. The Red Army has occupied two district centres in the KremenetsPodolosk region, Pershk and Felshin, the latter 14 miles south-west of Proskurov, besides over 200 inhabited places. The Russians southwest of Kremenets continued the offenisve and occupied two district centres in the Tarnopol region, Salotshtsy and Bluboczek, the latter six miles north-west of Tarnopol, besides over 20 other places. The Russians west and south-west of Vinnitsa continued the offensive and occupied the large town of Letichev, 30 miles south-east of Proskurov, besides 25 other places. South of Mohilev-Podolsk the Russians continued the offensive on the west bank of the Dniester and occupied the district centre in the Moldavian Soviet Republic, Ryshkanovka, and Tarnovo, on the Balti-Cernauti railway. The Russians also captured Vortizhany, 16 miles south-west of Soroki, besides over 40 places. The Red Army south-west and south of Gaivoron captured the rail station and district centre in the Odessa region, Katynov, and over 30 places. The Russians in the Nikolayev sector continued the offensive for the clearance of the east bank of the Bug River. They captured a number of places, including Goyevka on the Bug River, 11 miles above Nikolayev and Konstantinovka on the Bug. The Red Army has closed in on Voznesek and is now fighting on the outskirts of the town.

AWARD TO CH.CH. MAN. LONDON, March 22. The Supreme Soviet of the U.S.S.R. has awarded the Army Medal for Valour to the New Zealand soldier, Corporal J. Denvir, of Christchurch. He escaped three times from German prison camps and finally joined the Jugoslav Army of Liberation, in which he now commands a battalion. Corporal Denvir is among British Army, Navy, and Air Force personnel decorated by the Supreme Soviet of the U.S.S.R. for “outstanding military activities which ensured the success of the operations of the British and Americans in North Africa and Italy, and for courage and gallantry displayed in these operations.”