MID-DNIEPER

Grey River Argus, 17 December 1943, Page 5

MID-DNIEPER

CLEARED BY RUSSIANS Kiev Battle Continues RUSSIAN PROGRESS. [Aust. & N.Z. Press Assn.] LONDON, Dee. lb. The Germans in the Dnieper Bend are facing new crisis with the- linking up of two Russian armies driving ±rom Cherkasy and Kremenchug. The Red Army now has a huge bridgehead for a renewed drive south-westwards. The Germans at Smyela, which is in danger of being cut off by the Russians are trying to rally the remnants of their forces. They are evacuating wounded to Nikolayev by rail. The Russian thrust south-west of Snamenka-Smy-ela railway toward Novomirgorod threatens to outflank and cut off Smyela. The 'Russians farther 1 soutn are advancing on both sides of Kirovgrad. A later Soviet communique stated: Russian forces continued a successful offensive south-east and south of Cherkasy and captured several large inhabited localities, including Belozeri railway station, five miles northeast of Smyela. Russians in the Kirovgrad direction continued the offensive and improved positions. The Moscow radio broadcasting to the Red Army, declared: “Winter will see a Russian offensive larger than ever before.” RUSSIAN GAINS SOUTH-EAST OF CHERKASY (Rec. 10.20} LONDON. Dec. 16. The Moscow supplementary communique says: Soviet troops operating south-east of Cherkasy occupied several inhabited localities, ( and joined up with troops operating west of Kremenchug, liberating the whole bank of the Dnieper from Kremenchug to Cherkasy. Retreating enemy forces suffered heavy losses. South of Cherkasy our mobile units, after advancing along rural 'roads, attacked enemy forces from the rear, and by a swift blow captured Belozerie railway station, where booty included a large food dump. During the d.ay 38 German planes were shot down, six by one pilot. , In the Kirovgrad direction the enemy has several times counter-at-tacked, with considerable tank and infantry forces. All the attacks have been repelled with heavy losses to the enemy. Thirty-two tanks were burnt out. Kiev Bulge Battle GROWS MORE INTENSE. ENEMY DRIVE AT KIEV. LONDON, Dec. 15. The battle'for the Kiev Bulge has again flared up with renewed intensity. Moscow reports say that the Russians have strongly fortified the east bank of the Teterev River, ’nor-west of Kiev. Russians still hold positions west of the river, south and south-west of Malin. The Germans continue to suffer heavy losses. Reuter’s Moscow corrspondent says heavy fighting went on all last night and to-day) on the Kiev highway south-west of Malin, which is 60 miles westward of Kiev. Farther south General Vatutin, after the Russian evacuation of Radomysl, has grouped his forces along the west bank of the Teterev River. _ Both sides have brought up reinforcements. Another Moscow report stated: , There is no sign that the Germans have been sufficiently weakened to affect the power of tneir massed tank , and infantry attacks, and the result of the battle is still in the balance. The position is described in Moscow as “tense but not desperate.” A Soviet communique stated: The Red Army south of Malin dislodged the enemy from a number of inhabited localities. The Moscow correspondent of the British United: Press states: In the area of Radomysl, on the Teterev River, west of Kiev, the Germans have developed new tank tactics. They attack with a portion of their tank strength, a proportion of which is buried in the front lines. Only, well camouflaged turrets protrude above the ground. The buried tanks go into action when the Russians counter-attack. The Germans so far have found this method of stiffening the line most effective. The ( Germans in this area are also using tanks off the main roads at night in the attempt to pass through the first Russian outposts undiscovered. 'I hey are also using small tank units which attempt to . decoy Russian tank groups into the range of the buried tanks. The Russians are countering these tactics by reconnaissance before nounter-attacking. GERMANS REPULSE SOUTH OF MALIN (Rec. 10.10) LONDON, Dec. 16. A Soviet supplementary communique states: South of Malin, the enemy after strong artillery preparations. took the offensive with two infantry regiments, and more than a hundred tanks. They repeatedly attempted to break through. Each time they were thrown back to the initial positions. After inflicting heavy losses on the enemy, our troops in a counter-blow dislodged the enemy from several localities.

RUSSIANS' NORTHERN ATTACK. LONDON, Dec. 15. Berlin radio stated that Russians south of Neval intensified their attacks and flung in five rifle divisions and three tank brigades. . Von Hammer, the German News Agency’s commentator, said Russian forces in the Neval area had reached the German lines. Moscow radio, giving the first hint from Moscow of the renewed activity on the northern front, said: “Airmen operating on Leningrad front are raiding important enemy objectives, destroying dumps, batteries, and defence -fortifications. Nightbombers are particularly active and successful in these .operations.’’ EXTERMINATION POLICY. RUSSIAN CHARGE AGAINST GERMAN COMMAND. (Rec. 10.40.) LONDON, Dec. 16 ; The Moscow radio says: A Soviet commission investigating German crimes in Russ’a, issued a report accusing the German High Command of establishing . special extermination classes to teach soldiers how to kill Russian civilians by means of gas ambulances, mass executions, and other methods. The report Quoted evidence from a captured German Corpora' saving he had undergone special training course while serving in the Altenburm Battalion. He added: “We were told that the Russians were an inferior race, and that the majority must be destroved and the rest used as slaves by German settlers.’’ TRIALS AT KHARKOV. MEMBERS OF GERMAN ARMY. (Rec. 1.5.) LONDON, Dec. 16. \ The Moscow radio reports: The

first trial of persons accused of committing atrocities in Kharkov began before a militarv tribunal. The accused, who pleaded guilty, are three German Army members, and a Russian, who was a chauffeur in a German Special Command. The Kharkov Hall was crowded with hundreds of Russians, many of whom bore the traces of German torture. Investigation established the responsibility of the German High Command and Government for deaths by suffocation, shooting, burning and torture of 30,000 citizens of Kharkov, and tnat region. One accused. Captain Wilhelm Langheld, of the German Militarv Counter-esoionage. admitted having systematically tortured Russian prisoners to extract militarv secrets. He said it was a common practice of the German Army.