NEW OFFENSIVE

Grey River Argus, 27 November 1943, Page 5

NEW OFFENSIVE

BY RED ARMY IN THE CENTRE Enemy Nearer Kiev CLAIMS CHECK IN BEND ■ [Aust. & N.Z. Press Assn.] LONDON, Nov, 20. The Scandinavian Telegraph Bureau, which is under 1 German control, stated that the Germans evacuated Gomel. They destroyed all military installations before leaving. Reports reaching Stockholm stated Gomel had been occupied by Russian forces. Moscow has not so far confirmed this. The British United Press correspondent stated: Russian forces have made a new break-through west oi Ryechitsa and cut an important railway line (possibly the Mosir-Rog-achev line). Reuter’s Agency states: As me Red Army'; presses forward toward Mosir over a wide arc, Russian sappers, under enemy bombardment, are preparing hundreds of miles of Jog roads, which are vital for the Red Army’s progress, because a step off the road may mean death in bottomless Pripet quagmires. Thousands of trees are being felled to line the sides of the roads in the sectors adjoining the marshes as a protection against great snowdrifts. Guerrillas are giving the Red Army valuable aid in encirclement operations at Gomel, but this is the worst time of the year for guerrillas, because soft snow covers rhe White-Russian fields and forests so that it is impossible to reconnoitre without leaving tracks.” Moscow “Pravda” reports that Russian forces pierced German defences at one point on the White Russian front. A Russian unit penetrated the German rear and captured the commander of German divisions defending this sector. A Soviet communique stated: Russian forces, north and south-west of Gomel to-day, fought the enemy and improved their nositions. The Russians west of Rvechitsa continued the offensive and captured the railway station of Ostankovichi, thereby cutting the Jlobin-Kolenkovichi railway. The Russians in the Lower Pripet occupied a number of inhabited places and in the Korosten area repelled infantry attacks. Recently forces of the Red Army in the Propaisk area, south and south-east of Mohilev, went over to the Offensive and forced the Soj and Fronya rivers, and after three days’ fierce fighting, penetrated the enemy’s defence line from 11 to 28 miles',deep, and captured the Propaisk area' and also captured 180 inhabited places, including the large centre of Zhuravichi 25 miles east north-east of Rogachev. Russian Advance ON PROPOISK. MANY PRISONERS TAKEN. (Rec. 11.37.) LONDON, Nov. 26. A Soviet supplementary communique details a new Russian offensive in the Propoisk area. It says; The enemy has strongly fortified this area which is also protected bv wide water barriers. The enemy has suffered tremendous losses. Two thousand were killed in fie-htino- for Propoisk alone. Much booty was taken, also a great number of prisoners. Moscow radio stated: Russian troops are forging- ahead in the Propoisk area, despite stiff enemy resistance. The Germans flung in fresh reserves, and strove to stem the advance by blows from the air, but tne Russians beat off all the counter-at-tacks. The Red Army’s rumbling tank and columns of infantry, supply lorries and guns stretch along all roads leading westwards. Moscow ‘‘Red Star” reports: Russian forces thrusting west from Propoisk cut the main highway running from Mohilev to Gomel. Soviet divebombers north of Gomel have been inflicting particularly heavy losses on the Germans. Disregarding casualties, the Germans are repeatedly counter-attacking, i ENEMY ACCOUNT. LONDON. Nov. 26. . Berlin radio says: The German forces north of Gomel ai'e fighting entirely a defensive action. Kiev Btulgre Battle RUSSIANS HOLDING ENEMY. LONDON, Nov. 2. The Russians are holding firm against the violent German counteroffensive west of Kiev. The prolonged enemy counteroffensive against the south flank of the Kiev salient has been brought to a standstill. Moscow dispatches sa v a huge concentration of firepower smashed down the attacks and the battlefields of the Jitomir region are littered with the wreckage of monster German Tiger and Panther Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says that the Germans have been fought to a standstill east and north of Jitomir. The Russians have not yielded a yard in the last 2 z ± hours. Moscow “Red Star” says: Soviet troops have not given an inch of ground anywhere along the 30-mile front in the last 24 hours, and have improved their positions in sectors. This means that, the mans have not succeeded in driving a wedge between Kiev and Korosten, and are still fighting 40 miles west of Kiev. . .. . The Moscow radio says that the fighting in the area of Brusilov and Chernyakhov is extraordinarily fierce, but the Germans have nowhere been able to drive a w . | into the Russian lines. The Russians however, have abandoned several inhabited localities under pressure oi numerical superiority. GERMAN REPORT. LONDON, Nov. 25. . According to the Berlin radio, Russian counter-attacks have now been launched north and north-east of Jitomir. Berlin radio claimed that the Germans recaptured C'hernyakhov and Brusilov. ENEMY PROGRESS. (Rec. 11.37.) LONDON, Nov. 26.. Paris radio states: The fighting in the Kiev salient has reached a new climax. Paris radio adds: The Germans are now twenty five miles from Kiev. Dnieper Bend CAPTURES BY RUSSIANS. LONDON, Nov. 25. Fierce fighting is going on near the Kremenchug-Snamenka railway. The Russians two days ago crossed the line at one point and at others they are strongly pursuing the Germans towards the line. A Soviet communique says: The Red Army south

of Kremenchug continued the offensive and captured Krukov and Pavlysh, which is nine miles south of Kremenchug. RUSSIAN CHECK IN BEND. GERMAN CLAIMS. (Rec. 11.37.) LONDON, Nov. 26. Berlin .radio states: German forces have sealed off some of the Russian break-throughs in the Dnepropetrovsk area, and also north of Krivoirog*. Berlin radio 1 also states: The • Soviet trbon- who breached German lines south of Kremenchug were cut off.

FROST-BITTEN PRISONERS. (Rec. 11.30). LONDON,. Nov. 27. Cossacks have brought in the first two frost-bitten German prisoners in Russia this Winter. One wore a woman’s fur coat arid a woman’s laced felt gaiters. The other wore. leather boots, which were frozen as hard as citeel.