Soviets Take 2 Important Rail Centres

Northern Advocate, 30 September 1943, Page 3

Soviets Take 2 Important Rail Centres

(8.0. W., 1 p.m.) RUGBY, Sept. 29

Marshal Stalin, in orders of the day, announced the capture of Kremenchug, on the east bank of the Deeper, and the town of Rudnya, on the railway between Smolensk and Vitebsk. Kremenchug is the Germans’ last fortress on the eastern side of the Dnieper and Moscow. Marshal Stalin said that guns would salute the gallant victors of Kremenchug by 12 salvoes of 124 guns.

The order announcing the capture of Kremenchug, which is a key railway junction and busy industrial centre of the Ukraine timber trade, concluded: “Everlasting glory to the heroes who follow the Germans in defence of their motherland. Death to the German invader.”

The capture of Rudnya, which is an important enemy communication centre in the defensive system, brings the Russians within 40 miles of Vitebsk, one of the key towns leading to Minsk.

Dnepropetrovsk Pincers

The British United Press adds that latest available news of the position in Dnepropetrovsk is that the Russians have reached the east bank of the Dnieper bove and below the city and have begun moping up in Dnepropetrovsk’s east bank- suburbs while the Germans are swarming over to the west bank.

. .The correspondent, describing the rc.-'o met. rush to get across the river, says that what is hioening beggars 1 dsscnj.t.’on, with masses of men and material jamming the crossings. The Germans fad previously placed posters in villages saying: “Males from 16 to 65 must immediately evacuate to the west bank. Those remaining are liable to be shot on sight as partisans.” Reuter says that all night guns have been roaring across the Dnieper in a seires of gigantic duels for mastery of river crossings. Hundreds of flashes light up the dark waters of the broad, swiftly flowing river. The Germans have still got big infantry and tank concentrations ofi their bridgeheads on the east bank. They have been ordered, under threat of shooting, to hold on at all costs. Into White Russia “Izvestia” declares that the Russians are advancing into White Russia at great speed, thoroughly disorganising German defence plans Reuters reports that heavy Russian guns today are shelling Gomel; Russian infantry is moving in towards the town under a creeping barage: Other members of the Red Army are driving towards Jlobin junction on the Gomel-Minsk railway: Stage Set for Battle of Kiev Stalin, in his order of the day announcing the capture of Kemenchug, congratulated General Konev. With two main strongholds left to conquer— Kiev and Dnepropetrovsk—the Russians are battling unremittingly to make the whole length of the Dnieper indisputably their own. The stage is set for the final battle for Kiev, Germany’s most vital Dnieper line bastion. Strong Red Army forces are massing for an assault against Kiev. The Germans still hold an eight-mile bridgehead on the east bank of the Dnieper, opposite Kiev, but the Russians are only three to four miles from the east bank at this point, and are steadily pressing on. Kiev stands on 300 ft. high cliffs, rising sheer from the Dnieper, making a frontal assault comparable to storming the cliffs of Dover. Hold 200 Miles Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says the Russians hold the Dnieper’s east’ bank for 100 miles north of -Kiev and south of Kiev the Red Army holds sections of the east bank between Kiev and Zaporozhe totalling at least 200 miles. The Moscow correspondent of the British United Press declares that there is not the slightest evidence that the Russians are already attempting to force the Dnieper in the Dnepropetrovsk area or that railway bridges there have been wrecked. Such reports are printed abroad and carried back to Moscow merely to make Moscow correspondents laugh. Taken By Assault Tonight’s Soviet communique states that the Red Army, in the Steppes front, after two days’ fierce fighting, broke resistance over a considerable stretch of the east bank of the Dnieper and captured Kremenchug by assault. In the Kiev sector, the Russians, after throwing the enemy to the west bank of the Dnieper, captured the rail junction of Darnitsa. Advances up to six miles were made in the Gomel and Mohilev sectors. In the Vitebsk sector ihe Russians broke resistance and occupied the town and rail station of Rudnya. Over 660 other inhabited places were occupied during the day. Breath of Victory is Felt M. Manuilsky, a member of the central committee of the Communist Party, speaking over the Moscow radio, declared: “The breath of victory is now felt. The claim that the German retreat has been made according to plan in order to shorten the line is completely false. Recent operations have actually lengthened the line. The Red Army in the last two months has advanced 200 to 260 miles and freed an area of over 115,000 square miles, 10 times larger than Belgium.” Zaporozhe Offensive The Russians have launched a new offensive in the Zaporozhe area, says Vichy radio. Heavy fighting is going on southeast and south of the town. German icconnaissance planes report large reinforcements behind the Russian lines. Violent fighting continues along the whole front particularly in the central sector where both sides have brought up reinforcements. The Russians have succeeded in landing troops in some strength on the western bank of the Dnieper in the vicinity of Kiev.

“Pravda” says that the Germans are launching 10 to 12 counter-attacks daiiy on the approaches to the Dnieper in the Kiev direction, but the Red Army has gained such momentum that nothing seems capable of stopping it. The Berlin News Agency says that the Russians in the Chernigov area have brought up strong fresh forces in an attempt to drive through the German rearguard. The Stockholm correspondent of the Exchange Telegraph Agency says that Berlin now emphasises the fierceness of the fighting south-east and east ox Zaporozhe, where the Russian plan rims to cut off the retreat of the Germans in fhe Crimea. A German spokesman, surveying the situation, admitted an occasional break-through in recent weeks, but claimed that serious consequences had been avoided by clever retreats. lie added that the Dnieper was expected to hold the Russians despite the few crossings they have accomplished. Merciless Bombing Merciless Russian bombing of Kerch Straits is causing a heavy deathroll among Germans trying to escape to the Crimea before the Russian advance in the Tapnan Peninsula, says Reuter’s Moscow correspondent. German escape craft include even rowing boats and rafts.