FOR DNIEPER BEND

Grey River Argus, 20 October 1943, Page 5

FOR DNIEPER BEND

BIG RUSSIAN EFFORT TO TRAP ENEMY Melitopol Battle Continues . (Rec. 6.30.) LONDON, Oct. 18. Russian forces are exploiting one of their Dnieper bridgeheads by advancing far into territory west of the river just below Kremenchug. This is one important part of the Dnieper Line where German resistance has given way in the past day or two. Efforts to prevent the Russians deploying from their original foothold south-east of Kremenchug failed along a front of thirty miles. Russian forces -advanced about 20 miles south of the river and 30 miles southeast of Kremenchug itself. This brought them to only a dozen miles from a railway running east to Dnepropetrovsk, which is the onh’- east-to-west line south of Kiev. A Soviet communique stated: Russian forces on the right bank of the Dnieper, south-east of Kremenchug, penetrated strongly fortified defences on a front 27 miles wide and 15 miles deep, and captured a number of centres of resistance. Russians southeast of Kremenchug continued to develop the offensive and advanced three to four miles. Another report said: Russian forces south-east of Kremenchug, have torn a gap nearly 30 miles wide in the German defences inside the Dnieper Bend. This new advance has carried the Red Army to a point nearly 40 miles west of Dnepropetrovsk, where the Germans are now gravely threatened. Moscow radio said: Soviet units are pouring into the break-through area south-east of Kremenchug. New forces are constantly coming up. The battle is growing fiercer and wider as the Germans attempt to stem the advance. The break-through resulted from the highest co-ordination of all units. Regiment after regiment of Russian infantry went, into attack after a two-hour artillery barrage. Numerous air squadrons supported the attack. Assault tanks and Stormoviks went into the first breach and disorganised the enemy forces which were preparing to launch a counterattack* Reuter’s Moscow correspondent reports that the Germans are flying in troops in transport ’planes to meet the Russian threat. BATTLE OF DNIEPER BEND RUSSIANS AIM TO TRAP ENEMY (Rec. 9.50) LONDON, Oct. 18. The battle for Dnieper crossings has become a battle for the Dnieper Bend. The Russians are concentrating masses of men around there in an effort to turn the German stronghold into a death trap. The Germans are struggling desperately to hold key positions, or at least to gain time for withdrawal. Heavily armoured Russian columns are battering .a? way into the river bend through a gap torn into the German lines souith-e.ast of Kremenchug. They are grinding down German defences on both sides of a 30-mile gap in bloody fighting. Moscow correspondents say that a vast Russian plan is unfolding which, if fully successful, could result in destruction of German strength on a greater scale than at Stalingrad. A thrust through Kremenchug, the storming of Melitopol and a blow aimed at severing railways west of Dnepropetrovsk are all part of one grand operation. Russian forces are clashing against disorganised German forces in a thrust for the most northerly of two railways running west of Dnepropetrovsk. A Russian wedge thrusts forward over German dead and mases of wrecked equipment. The Germans are fighting hard to hold on to crumbling lateral defences and reform. The Germans are rushing up rienforcements and switching in reserves in an effort to seal- off a gap before Red Army forces smash to the rear of General von hard-pressed forces fighting within the Dnieper Bend. Russian pressure is relentless giving the Germans no respite. Artillery and Stormoviks are taking toll or German reinforcements before they are in line. A special order of the day from Hitler ordered: “Not a step back on this line. You are defending vour families. If you want them to live, you must die —but the Russians must not pass ” One prisoner said. “Soaked earth smells of our blood Reports from the front say Russian forces above Melitopol already are 30 miles down the railway from Zaporozhe, .and also are steadily advancing in the Kiev area. The Russians, by forcing the Dnieper below Gomel, split the Fatherland Line from the Dnieper front. The Russians were widening the breach an strengthening the hold on a network of communications. Melitopol Battle ■ GERMAN LOSSES. (Rec. 7.0. ) LONDON, Oct. 18. The Moscow radio says: The Germans are suffering huge losses m Melitopol, where fierce street fighting continues. Soviet troops have already pushed ahead from the city centre, and occupied the Cathedral and tke Cathedral Square. The Germans are launching counter-attacks with tanks from the western part of the city, but all have been repelled. j Melitopol has become a huge cemetery for the German Army. “Pravda” reports that Russian forces captured Melitopol. The Germans are heavily counter-attacking and ferocious street battles continue. Last night’s Soviet communique said - “After repelling enemy counterattacks the Russians yesterday continued to wage battles in Melitopol. The enemy, as on previous days, sutfered enormous losses in manpower and equipment. South of Zaporozhe the Russians captured several places, including the Popove railway station. To-night’s Soviet communique says: The Russians continued to. fight stubborn battles at Melitopol, inflicting heavy losses on the enemy Russians are confident that Melitopol will fall in the near future. 1' line reports say that at no other place are the Germans dying as they are at Melitopol. , Reuter 'says: Melitopol has become a huge graveyard for Germans. Reinforcements from other fronts and survivors from Kuban divisions are being steadilv wiped out. The Russians are taking few prisoners. The Germans, even while fighting in streets to hold off Russian storm, detachments, executed 175 families in a school building at Melitopol. Gigantic masses of Soviet troops poured into the western Ukraine after the sudden 1,000-gun blast, which converted their bridgehead into a break-through of the German front, says a Moscow message. The Soviet

Command has unleashed mighty armoured forces which had been held in reserve throughout the recent defensive battles on the west bank of the Dnieper. A Russian communique says: Yesterday on all fronts the Russians destroyed or disabled 171 German tanks while 45 enemy aircraft were destroyed.

KIEV SECTOR

ENEMY IN DANGER. NEW RUSSIAN CROSSING OF DNIEPER. i (Rec. 6.30..), LONDON, Oct. 19. A great battle for the Kiev continues unabated. A Soviet communique stated: Russian forces north of Kiev engaged in repelling enemy infantry and tank counter-attacks, and extended bridge heads on the right bank of the Dnieper. If Kiev falls and a gigantic encircling movement in the south results, or if the Germans are unable to disengage in the Zaporozhe sector, south of Kiev, they will have considerable difficulty in getting away from inside the Dnieper Bend, as the forces they have there are very large. The Russians have succeeded with a second crossing of the Dnieper in the middle reaches above Kiev. There a further advance threatens not merely the Dnieper Bend, but the whole German front. This crossing is located where the Soj River flows into the Dnieper, thirty miles south of Gomel and half-way between the mouths of the Beresina and the Pripet Rivers. Like three previous crossings, it has been successfully established to a depth of several miles. The Red Army made its new crossing of the Dnieper in its upper reaches, at its confluence with the river Sozh, about 30 miles south of Gomel. Here the Russians broke through on a front of 12J miles and made advances up to seven miles. They 1 captured the town of .Loev, on the west bank of the Dnieper, in this area-' ~ „ . A Soviet report said: The Reo Aflmfy south df Gomel successfully crossed the Dnieper, penetrated the defences over an area 18J miles wide and from three to seven miles deep, and occupied the town of Loev. A Moscow correspondent said:. The latest Russian crossing of the Dnieper south of Gomel, and the subsequent advance brings them to a point 27 miles west of Gomel.