STRONG PRESSURE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXIV, Issue 29, 3 January 1944, Page 5

STRONG PRESSURE

PROGRESS BEYOND JITOMIR. GERMANS IN FULL RETREAT. (N.Z. Press Association. —Copyright.) LONDON, Jan. I. The Russians are still pressing inexorably forward on both arms of their pincers represented by the. drives west of kiev and west of Zaporozhe, report Moscow despatches. 'They recaptured Jitomir after a daring thrust, securing much booty and many prisoners. Dozens of wrecked German tanks, gun-carriers, and field-guns were abandoned on the outskirts and in the Streets of the city. The British United Press’s Stockholm correspondent says that reports reaching Stockholm indicate that the German front line in the Jitomir area has dissolved into a number oi hedgehog positions. Even veterans oil the Russian front admit that the Jitomir battle was the fiercest they had so fa.r fought in. The Dagens Nyheter’s Berlin correspondent says that more than 1,000,000' Russians are participating in the offensive in the Jitomir area. The Germans are in full retreat following the loss of several tank and infantry divisions. •The Red Star says that the Germans in some places are retreating so swiftlv that they have had no time to ' blow up bridges or burn down villages. The Germans left behind arms and food stores. The Paris radio says that General Vatutin has changed the direction ot the drive. He is not continuing the attack towards Bcrdichcv, but to the southeast of the town, apparently aiming to close in on the Germans in the great Dnieper area. General Vatutin’s right wing has paralysed the highway and railway between jitomir and Novograd-Volynsk. J lie latter town, which is only a short distance from the old Polish frontier, is apparently General Vatutin’s next aim. His left wing, thrusting southwards, may develop into the most important operation of all because it is designed to sn.it the Herman forces in the Ukraine in two. t his column, by the capture of Kazatin, has not only outflanked Bcrdichcv but also placed its advance guards on the roads to Vinnitsa and the Dniester Another force of General Vatutin’s left wing reached points more than 20 nines south of the Eastov-Vinnitsa railway, lno whole Kiev, sector has become oxtrcniely mobile. Rdd Army tactics are to advanoe with it niimbftr of parallel columns, enabling t.ho commanders to switch attacks to points whore enemy resistance is obviously weak. Reuter's Moscow correspondent says General Vatutin’s irresistible forces have already begun battles for Berdichev and Byelaya Tserkov barring the frontiers ot Rumania and Eastern Poland. Unco these are liquidated the enemy s positions covering the Balkans will be split wide open and tho German positions m the Dnieper Bend will become untenable. In a groat complementary southern thrust, General Malinovsky’s forces have advanced 20 nnlcs from Zaporozhe adding a new throat to the Germans at Nikopol and along the DnepropelrovskKlierson railway. , Tho Russians havo occupied the Hyclokorovitskv and Pogrebische junctions. The latter is on tho railway south-east of Kazatin, while Byelokorovilskv is 27 miles from the old Polish frontier.