FURTHER CAPTURES

Grey River Argus, 24 September 1943, Page 5

FURTHER CAPTURES

BY RED ARMY Important Enemy Bases LONDON, Sept. 22. A Soviet communique states: Russian forces .took Oster, Peroyaslav, Zotonohsa and 180 other places in I the Kiev direytidn.' North-west of Smolensk they took Demidov and 50 places. Towards Dnepropetrovsk, 90 places, including Novomoskovsk iwere taken. A six to seven mile’ advance was made in the Poltava sector. In the Gomel direction, Pochep ! and Starodub were taken. The communique also announces the capture of Anapa. A swift new Russian drive is apparently intended to outflank Kiev from the south. The capture of Oster Peresslavl, and Solotonosa 4a miles south-east of Kiev and eight miles south-east of Kiev respectively, brings the Red Army within eight miles of the Dneiper River on a forty miles front. Moscow radio said: Russian troops through clear autumn air, could see gilt domes of the churches of Kiev shining in sunlight. South of Kiev there is a more immediate threat to the Dnieper, Soviet forces being 15 to 20 miles away from Dnepropetrovsk and Zaporozhe, on the bend of the river. One correspondent says Cossack patrols reached the river midway between the two cities. Reuter’s correspondent in Moscow say that the Russians are closing in on Dnepropetrovsk from three sides. All the railways to Dnepropetrovsk from the east 'have been cut at. comparatively short distances from the town. The Russians are advancing swiftly from Bularovka. 20 miles north-east of Dnepropetrovsk. : The Russians have smashed the last enemy hope of standing firm on the west bank of the Desna, and now the Germans must pin their hopes on the Dnieper, 30 miles to the west of Chernigov. The British United Press Moscow correspondent says the German defences at Poltava are finally cracking. General Konev’s troops fought a way into the outskirts of the great railway junction of Poltava. The Germans have clung to Poltava for at least six weeks at great cost. They have been using Poltava as a clearing house for their troops from the Donetz, moving them back along the Poltava-Kremenchug line. A Red Army column south-east of Poltava is astride lhe Poltava-Krasnograd railway, and at some points are only twelve miles from Poltava. The correspondent points out that, if the Russians now strike westward they can cut the Poltava-Kremenchug line, thereby trapping all the German forces in Poltava itself. A Russian communique reveals striking advances in the Gomel sector. where the Russians are moving westward over a broad front north and south of the Bryansk-Gomel railwav. Reuter’s correspondent says the increased threat to Gomel brings the battle for the liberation of White Russia into the active stage. The Red Army, with the Dnieper within its grasp at several points, its pincer movement against Smolensk and the outflanking movements against Kiev ing serious attention to the eliminadeveloping dangerously, is also giving serious attention to the elimination of Poltava, which at present is the most pronounced bulge in the German defence line. > On the Smolensk front the Russians are within eight miles of Roslavl. one of the most important ot Smolensk’s south-eastern defences. North-west of Smolensk the Russians are pushing dow'n the Dvina and threatening communications to the rear. A Russian communique records a total of 880 inhabited places captured during the day, and says that Port Anapa, north-west of Novorossisk was captured after fierce fighting. “Izvestia” says: The Russians in the Kuban bridgehead are less than ten miles from Temryuk, the largest port remaining in German hands. A Washington message says that M. Stalin. in an unprecedented message to lhe American people read at a war loan ceremony, outlined the Soviet’s effort to drive the Germans from Russian soil, and appealed to the American people to support the war loan, thereby promoting the growth of Allied military might. Stalin’s message said that more than 500 divisions were engaged on the eastern front lighting. The Russians were successfully employing planes, tanks, guns and other munitions received from Britain and America.

NOVOROSSISK POPULACE.

terrible FATE REPORTED

(Rec. 8.0.) LONDON, Sept. 23. According to official reports at Moscow, 100,000 persons suffered a terrible fate at Novorossisk. The city had been mutilated, and it was dead and empty when the Red Army marched in. Not a single human being, and not even a dog or cat was found alive. Bodies of many civilians were found in ditches. The reports, however, state that even the Germans can hardly thus have wholly disposed of such a number. It is assumed that the overwhelming majority of them were driven into forced labour. The Germans stripped Novorossisk taking even childrens toys and women’s clothes.

ANOTHER CAPTURE BY RUSSIANS.

LONDON, Sept. 23. M. Stalin announced the capture of Demidov, in lighting for which eight thousand Germans were killed. M. Stalin who said: “Troops ot the Kalinin front after two days fighting, broke enemy resistance and carried bv storm one of the powerful German defence bases, the town of Demidov.''