Smashing Forward From Smolensk to Sea of Azov

Manawatu Times, Volume 68, Issue 208, 2 September 1943, Page 5

Smashing Forward From Smolensk to Sea of Azov

(By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) LONDON, Aug. 31. Trom the Smolensk front southwards to the Sea of Azov the Russian offenaive is smashing forward in a series of thrusts coordinated under a vast master plan. This is becoming increasingly obvious from the succession of Orders of the Day and communiques in which Mr. Stalin announces tne capture or seypoints hundreds of miles apart, but correlated with the Russian objective of freeing the Ukraine. An Order of the Day oy Mr. Stalin announced that chc Russians in the Sievsk area had retaken RyelSK and broken through into le Northern Ukraine. An official Moscow announcement

,atC3 that tue Russians have captured alkj (40 miles southwest of Kharkov). vJhe communiques show that the .assive blows against strategic points *ong the front are timed to give the jurd-presscd uermans no opportunity co move strategic reserves or transfer forces from point to point. They also indicate that the Russians are now concentrating the strengtn of their air force ana armoured units of the army against the wider objective of smashing German military power on the Eastern f ront and forcing victory. Moscow, in announcing that the offensive m the Smolensk direction has broken througa scrong fortifications on a front of 30 miles, says that the Russians are attacking another strongly fortified zone in the Sievsk area and have smashed through on a front of 63 miles. They have driven irresistibly forward for 38 miles into the Northern Ukraine. The advances in the .Kharkov area and the official statement that t-ic Russians are completing the mopping-up of the Taganrog area complete tne picture of the vast united offensive operations. GERMAN FRONT CRUMBLING

Router’s military writer says: “It is clear now that the whole German front Is crumbling and Orel, Kharkov and Taganrog aro merely portents that a bigger development is in the offing. Bryans.: and Poltava are already threatened and Smolensk, formerly Hitler’s headquarters and one of the greatest prizes of all, is almost within Russian hands. The prospect of a German re oreat along the whole line is no longer remote, but the real question is, Will the Germans be able to get behinu the Dnieper in time?” ‘‘The groat Russian victory at Yelnia (50 miles southeast of Smolensk) is doubly remarkable,” continues Reuter. “It net only represents a tremendous wedge driven through the main Germans defensive line covering their centre, but has been achieved when great Russian armies are carrying out immense and successful offensives elsewhere. The might and resources disclosed in these operations are astonisning. The Wehrmacht, which once deemed itself invinci ole, is falling bacn, abandoning position after position even in most strongly fortified positions, it is a most remarkable rate of progress and the Russian advance teems to be accelerating almost daily.” HORROR OF TAGANROG Reuver’s xuoscow correspondent states that tne oattie lor Taganrog cost the Germans 15,000 dead in six days of tne grimmest lighting. Tne first Russian troops to encer tne city found scenes or utter aesoration. dmoke from blazing buildings swept through the streets whica were strewn with abandoned German transport. The crash of mined buildings went on while the Russians cleaned up the city. it war reporter s dispatch stated: “Tne port is dead and thousands of citizens have been driven off to Germany. ’ ’ sajs that Gestapo mass execution squads shot thousands of the citizens of Taganrog. There was not a survivor among the Jewish population and entire sections of the town were set on fire. The Germans tried a Dunkirk at Taganrog but were smashed by the Russian air force. The Red Star giving details of the occupation ot the port says: The enemy defence in the Taganrog region far in the Gulf of Taganrog was based on several water lines. The main defence line was the Mius River, on which our command knew that there were large enemy forces. The Russians in the first day’s fighting pierced the first line of the defence after which cavalry and mechanised units broke througn the second line of defence and penetrated the enemy’s rear, placing the whole German army at Taganrog in a difficult position. Our mobile forces cut the enemy’s last communications. The enemy still attempted to stop our advance and save his Taganrog troops. The Russians in other sectors launened decisive attacks, speeding up the final stage at Taganrog. German resistance weakened on Monday, and they started a hurried retreat. The Russians broke into Taganrog and dislodged the Germans from the city. The retreat was marked by exceptionally heavy German losses. There was no more question of the evacuation of material. The Germans made every effort to save at least their army manpower and attempted to evacuate troops by sea. The Germans intended to use the same route to bring up fresh forces to Taganrog but failed in both plans. The German remnants are encircled and heavy fighting Is progressing as we continue to annihilate them.