SMASHING TOWARDS BUG

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25426, 6 January 1944, Page 3

SMASHING TOWARDS BUG

MASSIVE RUSSIAN ATTACKS THREAT TO DNIEPER ARMIES (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) (Rec. 11.30 p.m.) LONDON, Jan. 5.„ The Red Army, after the storming of the important German base of Byelaya Tserkov, is in close pursuit of the retreating enemy behind the Dnieper bend front. General Vatutin is striking couth and south-west across the Ukraine on a 120mile front, and massive tank and infantry forces are smashing down towards the German defence lines on the River Bug and behind the enemy armies far to the east in the Dnieper bend. It is yet too early to speak of the trap closing on the enemy in the Dnieper bend, but there was a serious deterioration in the Germans’ position yesterday.

Byelaya Tserkov was the hinge of the left flank of the German armies in the bend, and its capture has freed powerful Russian forces to strike south.

The Russians made important new advances towards the Bug yesterday, and at one place are within 20 miles of Vinnitsa, on the river. To the north, the Germans admit that they had been forced to evacuate the eastern portion of Berdichev in the face of attacks from superior Russian forces. Even before this, however, the city had lost its value as a means of pinning down the Russian offensive.

There are no fresh reports of further progress by Soviet spearheads into the Polish Ukraine. West of Novograd Volynsk they came up against heavy German coun-ter-attacks. Infantry units broke into the Russian positions, but were wiped out.

The Soviet offensive in White Russia is beginning to develop favourably. The railway from Velikie Luki has been completely cleared of the enemy.

The Paris radio’s commentator, M. Jean Paquis, said: “ The most gigantic offensive ever launched by Marshal Stalin is undoubtedly the right description of General Vatutin’s present operations. He is incessantly flinging more and more fuel into the furnace, and Marshal von Mannstein faces 1,000,000 Red Army men, as well as one motorised division after another.”

The German News Agency’s commentator, General von Hammer, said: “ Fresh Russian detachments are being rushed up to tear up the German southern front. The great winter battle, which the Russians on December 24 with 20 infantry divisions, 30 tank brigades and the strongest possible use of artillery, is raging with undiminished ferocity.”