Next 24 Hours Should Decide Fate Of Nazi Kiev Offensive

Northern Advocate, 14 December 1943, Page 3

Next 24 Hours Should Decide Fate Of Nazi Kiev Offensive

(Received 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, December 13. THE NEXT 24 HOURS SHOULD SHOW WHETHER VON 1 MANNSTEIN CAN MOBILISE MORE RESERVES FOR CONTINUANCE OF THE COUNTER-OFFENSIVE AGAINST KIEV SALIENT OR WHETHER THE WHOLE ASSAULT IS GOING TO PETER OUT, LEAVING THE DECIMATED GERMAN DIVISIONS TO FACE A POWERFUL RED ARMY COUNTER-DRIVE, DECLARES REUTER’S MOSCOW CORRESPONDENT. He adds that the Germans have had big losses in the latest battles. The number of tanks in action in the past few days has significantly declined and the Panzer push for the time being appears to have reached exhaustion or the limit of the widest margin of losses the enemy dare afford. Von Mannstein is threatened with complete failure unless he is able to renew the assault with more powerful forces. Reuter’s military writer says the Germans appear to have shot their bolt in the counter-offensive on the Kiev salient.

Fate Of Dnieper Bend Russian reinforcements which have leached General Vatutin are slowly but surely regaining ground. If they decisively defeat von Hoth's Fourth Panzer Army, the fate of the Dnieper bend is sealed. German dead are lying thickly at the approaches of newly captured Soviet positions after a series of furious Soviet counter-attacks west of Kiev, says Reuter’s Moscow correspondent. The battle is now raging across open country and on the outskirts of forests. Duels between tanks and artillery are giving way to fierce infantry clashes in a number of sectors as the Russians increase their pressure against battered villages and strong-points which have changed hands several times. The Moscow correspondent of the British United Press says that a huge Russian winter offensive on. at least four fronts —(1) between the Pripet and Beresina rivers, (2) between Jlobin and Orsha, (31 on the Neva! front, (4) on the Krivoi Rog-Nikopol sector —is expected soon to be launched as a result of the German failure to break through west of Kiev. The Germans’ intention in launching a massive counter-attack was to try to force the Russians to draw off their forces from neighbouring fronts, thereby delaying the Red Army’s winter offensive, but the Russians again hold the intiative in the Kiev bulge, obviating any disruption of the Russian High Command’s future plans in other sectors. South-west Of Kirovgrad The weather from the Kiev sector northwards is now sufficiently cold for real winter operations, at which the Russians are masters. Even in the Kiev sector it is practically cold enough for specialised operations, while the hardened ground is enabling the Red Air Force to resume fullscale attacks. Moscow correspondents say that Red Army mobile units are pouring on west from Chigirin, supported by hedge-hopping Stormoviks which are operating effectively inside the corridor formed by the Tasnin and Dnieper, to keep the Germans on the move and prevent the construction of a new defence line. Ankara radio reported that the Russians occupied' Cherkasy. The German News Agency’s military commentator (von Hammer) stated that the Dnieper bend was the scene of the Russians’ greatest operations The Red Army had reached points south-v/est of Kirovgrad. Reutei points out that this means that Kirovgrad, 25 miles south-west of Snamenka, has been outflanked. Earlier, Reuter’s Moscow correspondent stated that the Russians, in their steady drive towards Kirovgrad, had cleaned up powerful German knots of resistance south-east, east and north of the city. Evacuate Chekkasy? The Germans are reported to have been ordered to evacuate Cherkasy, says the Stockholm “Afton 1 indingen.” It is also reported that evacuation preparations have begun at the important rail junction of Smyela. Berlin radio admitted that the Russians have penetrated to the area of Cherkasy rail-station, but claimed that the Russians have been thrown back by counter-attack and added that biter fighting was going on in other parts of Cherkasy. Red Army troops pressing on from Snamenka are now less than 15 miles from Kirovgrad. Large forces of German tanks, mobile guns and infantry are counter-attacking, but their operation are already greatly hampered by loss of the key rail junction of Snamenka, say Moscow reports. Thei?? were 659 German tanks destroyed or disabed on the Russian front in the past week, according to figures compiled from Moscow communiques. At least 354 of them were knocked out in the battle for the Kiev bulge; 171 German planes were shot down in the same period.

ins in two sectors near the main KievKorosten railway where von Mannstein’s forces are driving hard against the Russian lines in an attempt to break through. Fighting on several other sectors has died uown in tin 1 last few hours after the defeai of crack Nazi armoured formations in great battles which have raged continuously for, two days and nights. Major Russian Victory This is the first major Russian victory iri this area since the twin victories of Jitomir and Korostcn in mid-November. The Zurich correspondent of the Exchange Telegraph Agency reports that a German War Office spokesman has confirmed that the German army south-west of Krcmenchug is facing a critical situation. The spokesman stressed that, the Russians now possess considerably better railway com mu mentions. Describing the capture of Chigirin. a Soviet supplementary communique states that the Russians have fought their way to the southern and eastern outskirs of tin; town and mobile units simultaneously cut the roads south-westward. The Germans, threatened with complete encirclement. counter-attacked, but attempts to restore the situation failed. The Russians broke into the town, wiped out the garrison and captured booty and prisoners. Tank Penetration The German commentator (von Hammer) late tonight stated that a Russian tank group, with infantry mounted on the tanks, had penetrated the German lines in the Dnieper Bend. There was extremely bitter fighting all today northwest of Krivoi Rog, west of Kremenchug and in the Cherkasy area. Tonight's Soviet communique states that the Red Army in the Kirovgrad sector continued the offensive and captured several inhabited places, and west of Kremenchug overcame enemy resistance and captured five heavily-fortified strong points, including Adamovka, Vdovin and Khuto. The Russians south of Malin continued to fight engagements against tanks and infantry and improved their positions.

New Phase Opening A now phase is.-opening in the great battle for the Kiev bulge south and south-west of Mftlin, following Russian oounter-drives which have driven the Hermans back in this area for the first time for over a month. The Moscow correspondent of the British United Press says that General Vatutin's forces are now consolidating their newly-won territory. Groups of Soviet infantry and tanks are probing the German lines in preparation for a new move forward. Front-line reports indicate that the battered German .Panzers are reforming in several sectors, while Russian artillery is massing in readiness foe a renewed German assault. Heavy fighting is rag-