RUSSIAN WEDGE

Grey River Argus, 23 October 1943, Page 5

RUSSIAN WEDGE

IN DNIEPER BEND KEEPS UP PRESSURE Enemy Resists Desperately LONDON, Oct. 21. A Soviet communique on Thursday night stated: Russian forces south-east of Kremenchug advanced in some sectors three to six miles and captured over 70 inhabited places, including the railway stations of Petrovo, Anovka and Alevandrovka. Petrovo is 28 miles north-north-west of the steei centre of Krivoirog land about 20 miles from the railway from Snamenka is Nikolayev and Khetson. the only railway leading from these two ports. Reuter’s correspondent in Moscow stated: A frontal assault which smashed open 16 mile deep defences of tne Dnieper line southeast of Kremenchug carried Russian forces 50 miles into the Dnieper Bend, where they are over-running main German communications. Russian forces are only 30 miles from the important communications centre of Snamenka (about 13 miles north of Kirovograd), and other Russian forces are driving down the 40-mile branch line from Pyatikhatka to Krivoirog. Enemy tank and infantry counter-attacks have been launched from scores of points. These attacks have not slowed the Russians. German resistance is already showing signs of weakness, although thousands of troops have been flung into the breach The correspondent also stated, ine fat est Russian advances brought them within 27 miles of Krivoirog. Russian bombers have begun softening German communication lines radiating from Krivoirog. Russian forces south-east Of Kremenchug are 24 miles west of Dneprodzerhinsk, which adjoins Dnepropetrovsk, lhe Russians are half-way across the rear of the Dnieper Bend. . A Moscow message stated. uasi Tuesday night Russian planes bomoed German military trains and stores at railway junctions at Fastov, bnamenka and Dzhankoy and the railway station at Nikopol, and nve trains were wrecked. Large tires which broke out were followed by violent explosions. One Soviet plane failed to return. Another report stated the Germans were threatened not only in the , Dnieper Bend but also on the lower reaches of the river. They are rushing up reinforcements in a desper- , ate bid to stem the Russian advance and are bringing up all their available aircraft. It is estimated that . altogether in the Dnieper Bend and , Crimea sectors there are between 750,000 and 1,000,000 German forces, who are in danger of bein s trapped. In four days since the break-through south of Kremenchug, Russian forces advanced 60 miles. They still have ; another 60 to go to complete encirclement of Germans by reaching the southern arm of the Dnieper : Bend. I ■ GERMANS RELYING ON TANKS. 1 (Rec. 9.50)' LONDON, Oct. 22. ■ The Moscow correspondent of the British United Press says: Both in Melitopol and on the nearby steppes the Germans now are mainly relying on their armour to hold off Russian forces. There is a surprising absence of German infantry in Melitopol. A Soviet supplement stated: A Soviet partisan group operating in a certain area of the Volynya region in two days derailed three German military trains, two engines, 16 trucks‘laden with tanks and lorries, and 18 wagons carrying various loads. Another partisan group operating in the same region during the week blew up six lorries and one light car. Partisans killed four German officers and 33 soldiers. In the Barents Sea, three enemy self-propelled barges and an escorting cutter were sunk. In air combats seven German planes were shot down. In the Black Sea one enemy transport of 5000 tons and two freighters were sunk. 1 HEAVY RUSSIAN PRESSURE (Rec. 9.40.) ' LONDON, Oct. 21. Reuter’s Moscow corresporident says: There is a battle going on without interruption in a funnel south of the main railwav from Dnepropertovsk. There is a Russian wedge broadening on both flanks,, with powerful thrusts towards Snamenka in the west, and Dnepropetrovsk in the east. The Germans are fighting hard to stave off isolation of their big armies in the Dnieper Bend. The Germans have whipped up their resistance during the past twenty-four hours. At present there are battles being contested with a ferocity that only was equalled at the height of the battle for Stalingrad. More and more enemy troops are now being thrown into the struggle. Krivoirog has been neutralised as a communications centre as a result of Soviet aircraft pounding railways radiating from that city. .. • J german admission. (Rec 10 40. j LONDON, Oct. 22. Captain Sertorius. Berlin, commentator stated: “Violent fighting, is progressing south of Kiev. Russian pressure north of the city has also in The S German News Agency to-night admitted that Soviet tanks, effectiveL supported by Stormoviks, penetrated German lines north-west o_ Chernikov on a front of two and ahalf miles.. It added that the Russians in this area attacked with far SU A^cordin- CeS io Morley Richards •‘Dailv Express” military writer, the GeSJ are in more deadly peril than at Stalingrad. Observers in London believe the German Army will be heal l a decisive blow in the Dnieper Bend. On Thursday night the German Agency declared tnat, tne batUe, with the centre of gravity couth-east of Kremenchug, was still in full-swing and must be expected soon to reach a new climax The Berlin correspondent of the German-controlled Scandinavian. Telegraph Bureau says: The situation in the 1 Kremenchug - Dnepropetrovsk sector must, (without exaggeration, be described as extremely serious. The Russian threat from the north is becoming greater and greater, it seems the German forces will very soon be compelled to retreat westward in order to avoid encirclement. The Berlin correspondent of tne Stockholm newspaper “Aftonbladet nuoted German officials as stating that the Russian drive from Kremenchug is aimed at the Black Sea port of Nikolayev. He stated: A catastrophe threatens the whole German front in South Russia. The Russians are continually throwing infantry, tanks and artillery into the breaches in the German line between Kremenchug and Dnepropetrovsk, and are widening gaps while ever<meater swarms of ■ Soviet bombers are hammering retreating Germans.

Berlin claims that never before have the Russians thrown in such enormous forces as at Kremenchug. Luftwaffe Busy ON THE DNIEPER. (Rec. 10.20.) LONDON, Oct. 22. The United Press Moscow correspondent states: Immense air battles are going on over the whole of a 200-miles stretch of the west bank of the Dnieper south-east of Kiev. The Germans are sending over forces of one hundred bombers at a time. They are making tremendous efforts to break through Russian fighter screens and to reach the Dnieper crossings, where vast numbers of Russian men continue to pour to the west bank. The German defences in the Kiev sector are still very strong. MELITOPOL BATTLE RUSSIAN GAINS. LONDON. Oct. 21. A Soviet communique on Thursday night stated: Russian forces, after severe fighting, dislodged eneny' forces from a number of key points of his defences north -and south-west of Melitopol. The Russians completely cleared the enemy from the centre of Melitopol. The Germans are now holding the northern part of the city. Reuter’s Stockholm correspondent stated: The Germans suffered, enormous losses of men and equipment. Berlin despatches on Thursday night stated Russian forces breached German defences at Melitopol in powerful new attacks, and the Scandinavian Telegraph Bureau’s Berlin representative said the situation at Melitopol was becoming increasingly critical. ' Russian thrusts time and again broke into the German defence system. MELITOPOL TANK BATTLE. (Rec. 9.10) LONDON, Oct. 21. The Moscow correspondent of the British United Press says: In Melitopol, street fighting has been going on for nine days. There is now a great tank battle raging around the cathedral. The enemy are constantly counter-attacking. They are maxing a last desperate ettort to hold the city. However the Germans are slowly being pressed back in this new Stalingrad. There is, however, a surprising absence of German infantry in Melitopol. Air Raid on Bulgarian Capital too PERSONS KILLED (Rec. 9.50) LONDON, Oct. 22. The British United Press correspondent at Istanbul, reveals that Sofia, capital of Bulgaria, was raided on Monday night. There were at least one hundred killed and injured. Barracks housing motorised troops and tank units were set on fire. HEAVY CASUALTIES AT NIS (Rec. 9.40) LONDON, Oct. 22. The German News Agency described the Allied raid on Nis. It said: British and American planes caused great damage. Private houses were particularly heavily hit. The number of casualties was very considerable: Two hundred bodies were taken from debris. The injured persons total several hundreds. North-west Africa Air Forces were out in strength, yesterday, attacking airfields, communications and gun positions. The marshalling yards in Nisi (Jugoslavia) an important junction 80 miles north-west of Sofia were attacked for the first time by medium bombers, escorted by Lightnings, causing explosions and severe damage. Heavy bombers attacked the airfields at Casale and Marcigliana north of Rome. Many hits were seen on hangars, sheds and landing fields. Other heavy bombers des-

troyed railway bridges from Grosse to Orvito. Medium bombers attacked airfields at Casale, Marcigliana and Cerveteri. direct hits being scored on parked aircraft, hangars and the dispersal areas. Fighters and fighter-bombers, were over the battlefront throughout the day attacking gun positions and motor transport A train and station were blown un north of Ancona. On Tuesday nighit. liight bombers attacked Cassinoi, the harbour at Gaeta and various railway junctions. Night fighters attacked airfields at Subara and Cerveteri. From all the operations, three of our aircraft are missing.