BATTLE FOR KIEV

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25365, 25 October 1943, Page 3

BATTLE FOR KIEV

UNDIMINISHED FEROCITY IMMENSE SLAUGHTER * •_ LONDON, Oct. 22. The great battle for Kiev is continuing with undiminished ferocity, the British United Press says. The Russians north of Kiev expanded their bridgeheads, using big tank and cavalry forces. The fighting is moving towards the city yard by yard. The slaughter is immense, especially along the river bank. Corpses flow down on the tide as numerous as leaves on an autumn day. Yet the Germans are still throwing in every man they can scrape up from the rear in a titanic effort to retain Kiev. While the Moscow radio reported that the Germans have rushed fresh forces from France, Poland, Holland, and Denmark to throw into the battle south-east of Kremenchug, Axis radios stated that the Russians from secret bases are pushing forward more arms and vast supplies. The Press Association’s military writer calculated that between the Pripet marshes around Kiev to the Sea of Azov between 70 and 90 German divisions are engaged in battles, representing between 1,000,000 and 1,250,000 men. The Moscow radio declared: “The German war machine is tottering and growing daily weaker after its enormous losses in the battles for the Dnieper.” Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says the Germans before Kiev are throwing into the fighting line bandsmen, supply troops, and security police. “ They seem to machine-gun whole groups of German soldiers attempting to retreat. The approaching Russian threat has given the signal for a new wave of terrorism within the city. Night after night the sound of volleys on the outskirts of the city tells of more Soviet citizens dying before German firing squads.” The German News Agency reported powerful new Russian attacks in the Pereyslavl area, where the Red Army holds a bridgehead 50 miles south-east of Kiev. Berlin radio stated that the Russians made new attacks north-west of Smolensk and south-west of Veliki Luki, but claims that the breaches were sealed off.

A German war reporter, speaking over the Berlin radio, and referring to the fighting in the Kremenchug area, admitted that the Russians had effected a deep break-through. He said: “Our troops have had a hard time. They have been fighting without rest since June 15, and hardly ever have had time to take off their boots.”

Russian naval forces last week sank 18 German ships, many of which were transports, said the Moscow radio Five transports were sunk in the Baltic, two transports and four barges were sunk in the Black Sea, and a German convoy in another area was scattered two transports, two patrol ships, and three barges being sunk and two transports damaged.