RUSSIAN ADVANCES

Grey River Argus, 26 February 1944, Page 5

RUSSIAN ADVANCES

ON PRUSSIA AND BALTIC More German Bastions Lost Russians Occupy Dno cAus. & N.Z. Press assii.J LONDON, Feb. 24. M. Stalin in an order of the day to Generals Popov and Govorov stated: “Troops of the second Baltic front in direct co-operation with troops on the Leningrad front, developing offensive under' particularly difficult conditions off the marshy and forest terrain, to-day, as the result of a violent attack occupied the town and important railway junction of Dno, the powerful stronghold of German resistance in the Pskov direction. A hundred neighbouring inhabited places have been captured. The Germans had previously announced their evacuation of Dno, which is sixty miles to the east of Pskov, on the railway; from Novgorod. Dno was the enemy’s advanced bastion before Pskov and was very strongly defended. , Russians entered Dno on Wednesday from the north and east, and in the past 24 hours had been fighting in streets of the town. A Reuter correspondent stated: Capture of Dno releases General Mereskov’s army to join in the attack against Pskov, on which General Govorov’s troops are already converging from the north, and northeast. It opens a real battle for Pskov.

The German News Agency’s commentator, von Hammer, sayts that Dno has been destroyed. He adds that fighting is greatly increased in voilence on the east shore of Lake Peipus, where Russians yesterday again attempted to break through towards Pskov along the Luga-Pskov road.

The British United Press Moscow correspondent reports: South of Dno, General Khozin’s troops advanced over 20 miles from Kholm, aiming at the Sokolniki section of the Leningrad-Vitebsk railway. Khozin’s column forms a link between Meretskw’s and-Govorov’s armies and those of General Popov, all four of which are forming a great arc sweeping towards the Baltic. Loss of Dno deprives the Germans of a main base barring the way to the Baltic.

A Berlin commentator said that Russians are already racing to cut off the German defenders of Dno, falling back towards Pskov. A Soviet communique-says: Russians south-west of Strugie (40 miles north-east of Pskov) continued on the. offensive and captured Neredka, 23 miles north-west of Pskov, besides 50 other inhabited places. Russian forces south-west of Kholm fought a wav forward and occupied over 40 inhabited places, including a railway station. 1 Reuter stated: A Soviet decree has been published officially renaming five towns near Leningrad, Slutsk becomes Palvolsk, Krasnovardeisk becomes Gatchina, both pre-revolution-ary names. The other three places drop German names for Russian ones. Schlisselburg becomes Petrokrepost, Peterhof becomes Petrodvorets, and Dudeerhof becomes Nagornoe. The Leningrad workers’ organisations requested the changes.

Germans Leave Vitebsk

(Rec. 11.35.) LONDON, Feb. 25. The German Overseas News Service has .announced that German forces have evacuated Vitebsk. They did so after destroying all of the military installations.

Rogachev Taken by the Russians. LONDON, Feb. 21. M. Stalin in an order of the day to General Rokossovsky stated: Troops of the first White Russian front having crossed the Upper Dnieper broke the strong-front of over thirty miles, and in three days’ offensive advanced from twelve to sixteen miles, and to-day took by storm the town and large railway station of Rogachev, an important stronghold of German resistance in the Bobruisk direction. Rogachev is on the west bank of the Upper Dnieper River, 14 miles above Jlobin. There were 100 other inhabited places occupied, and an important German bridgehead on the east bank of the Dnieper east of Rogachev. The German News Agency says: The town of Rogachev has been destroyed. The Germans fell back from Rogachev to the west bank of the Drut River.

The British United Press says that the Germans have lost in Rogachev a main base baring the way to East Prussia. Rogachev lies at the crossing of the Vitebsk-Korosten and Minsk-Gomel railways, and is the south extremity of the White. Russian front. It lies on the main road to Bobruisk, also on the railway from Jlobin to Mohilev. The Germans report heavy Russian attacks north of the Pripet marshes. They reported similar attacks at Vinnitsa a*~short time ago. The Germans later claimed “a great defensive victory.’’ It is not unlikely in the absence of confirmation of this by the Rossians, that these and the subsequent defensive victories are on paper only, and for propaganda purposes. While this is not absolutely certain, it is a device previously used by the Germans in the effort to bolster home morale. ' Although the Germans are fallingback in the north and south, they have for three weeks pinned down the Red Army’s drive into Poland. The Russians have not advanced since they drove through Luck. The Germans claim that they have mastered the offensive in that sector. .

New Russian Move TOWARDS EAST PRUSSIA, (Rec. 12.40.) LONDON, Feb. 25. " Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says:. General Rokossovsky’s troops fanning out west and north-west bevond Rogachev, are attempting to reach Babruisk, and also outflank the enemy’s fortress of Mohilev, in White Russia, between Rogachev and Vitebsk. Russian forces pushing north-east of Rogachev, apparently aim to pass south-west of Bikhov, a small town on the right bank of the Dnieper River. The Germans have transformed Bikhov into one of the strongest defence posts guarding' the southern annroaches to Mohilev. General Rokossovsky also .launched a drive on Bobruisk. His forces are now under twenty-eight miles, from that town on the shortest road to East Prussia. Russian forces in this area split the German line and are advancing- rapidly westward on a thirtymiles front. KRIVQI ROG SECTOR. LONDON, Feb. 24. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent states’ Clouds of smoke still hang over Krivoi Rog. The Germans blew up the main buildings before the RusHans drove them out, and also mined the entrances to. the iron ore mines, from which thousands of Russian nun-

ers are still emerging. They hid for weeks in order to escape deportation to Germany. Rescue work is proceeding at one mine, the entrance or which the Germans blocked up a “ ai miners refused t 0 come up. illG authorities are unaware how ma “£ are still living. The Germans are estimated to have shot 17,000 ca -- 17 ' e . of Krivoi Rog and threw many bodies down the mineshaft. They also threw grenades and fired rifles down me shafts of other mines where the Russians are hiding. . Now that Krivoi Rog is in rßissiai hands, a continuation of the advanctowards Mikolaiev is expected wnen the Russians have had time to mgroup. It is thought a large n u l “2 ber of troops in that area are RU manian, therefore not of such nigi qualtitv or so skilled in fighting retreats as their German allies.

GERMAN MARSHAL REPORTED IN PRISON LONDON, Feb 25. The “Daily Telegraph’s” _ Zurich correspondent quotes a special article in a newspaper, the “Tagblatt published at Saint Gallen, as authority for a. report that Field Marshal von Keuchler has been imprisoned in the fortress at Koemgsberg, in East Prussia, for gross insubordination and for a refusal to carry out orders from Herr Hitler. Marshal von Keuchler commanded German forces on the Leningrad line where Kilter’s order was not to surrender a foot of ground.