Increasing Danger to Large German Forces

Manawatu Times, Volume 68, Issue 207, 1 September 1943, Page 5

Increasing Danger to Large German Forces

(By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.

Received Tuesday, 9.10 p.m. LONDON, Aug. 31,

Last night’s soviet communique stated that the Russians in the Taganrog area captured more than 150 populated places, including the strong centres of resistance Nikolayevka and Kuteinikovo 28 miles southeast of otalino on the Taganrog-Stalino railway, the district centre of Fedorovka 23 miles west of Taganrog and only 40 miles east of Mariupol, also the large and important defence centre of Vasselo Voznesensk on the coast of the Sea of Azov 40 miles from Mariupol. Thus the Rostov region has been completely liberated from the invaders. The Times* Stockholm correspondent says Taganrog was one of the cornerstones of the Germans’ Donetz Basin defences. The abandonment of it detrimentally affects the German position not only in the whole of this area but also makes a withdrawal from the Kuban and from the Crimea a matter for urgent consideration. Since the Germans have not held Taganrog with extensive and longprepared defences in depth there is little reason to believe that they will be able to hold the Russians permanently on that side of the Dnieper. The British United Press’s Moscow correspondent says following the fall of Taganrog two Russian pincer arms are now aimed at the important railway juncaion of Volnovakha, 30 mile 3 south of Stalino which controls one of the two remaining railways leading from the Donetz. The whole of the German positions around the great industrial city f Stalino nave been weakened with Taganrog’s fall. The Russians meantime have trapped and are wiping out the remnants of the German Taganrog forces. The Soviet communique also reports that the Russians south of Bryansk have advanced six to 13 miles and occupied more than 50 inhabited places. The Russians west of Kharkov continued their offensive and occupied several inhabited places.

The British United Press’s Moscow correspondent says the Russian advance on the Kharkov front has facilitated the drive for the important railway centres of Krasnograd and Pavlograd which control the Donetz Basin communications.

Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says the Russian offensive swinging south and west from Kharkov is crushing the German fortifications and threatening the enemy’s badly shaken armies with encirclement. Krasnograd is menaced from the north and east. The Germans are throwing in masses of bombers in an attempt to hold up the Russian offensive, but the Soviet Air Force is breaking up and beating off the attacks.

The German News Agency says the Red Army has broken the German lines at several points west of Kharkov and battles are still raging for the gaps. Heavy battles west of the Upper Donetz and west of Kharkov continue. The Russians have still further intensified their fronts in almost the entire area between the Sea of Azov and Byeloi to smash the German front. The focal points are the Upper Mius and the area west of Kharkov, also the sectors west of Sievsk and southwest of Viazma. The Russians in the Sievsk area, southwest of Viazma, and also at Byeloi hurled in strong infantry tank forces with particularly strong air support. The defensive fighting there is extremely grim.