GENERAL VATUTIN’S DRIVE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25427, 7 January 1944, Page 3

GENERAL VATUTIN’S DRIVE

ADVANCE TO MIDDLE DNIEPER BERDICHEV CAPTURED , (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) (Rec. 11.16 p.m.) LONDON, Jan. 6. General Vatutin’s tremendous drive is making swift progress towards German bases down on the Dnieper bend front. Soviet spearheads are already 20 to 30 miles beyond Byelaya Tserkov and are advancing towards the Middle Dnieper, where the fighting is spreading to the Smyela sector. A grave new threat to German communications in the Dnieper bend has come with the fall of Berdichev, which has been announced by Marshal Stalin in a special order of the day. The city, which fell after five days of fierce battles, was of great importance to the enemy, as it pinned down large Russian forces. The enemy made desperate efforts to hold Berdichev With large tank forces, and converted every village on the approaches to the city into heavily-fortified strongpoints. Massive counter-attacks were mounted, and so bitter was the fighting that whole German units were wiped out to a man. The Russians'rightly regard the fall of Berdichev as a major success, as the way is now cleared for ai\ advance to the Bug River. The drive from Berdichev has already begun. The German command, after the fall of Byela Tserkov is in a precarious position from Smyela to Nikopol, report Moscow correspondents, quoting front-line despatches. The Red Army has bitten deeply into the German defence system in the Ukraine, with its target the railway network on which the safety of the Germans in the Dnieper bend depends. Far to the north the Soviet offensive in the Neval sector has over-run 90 more places in the last 24 hours, and the Russians are now advancing towards the railway line connecting Leningrad with the front further south. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says: “ Late to-night the Russian military commentator, Colonel Amikov, said the Russians had taken the Stucz River line and penetrated deeply in the direction of Sarny, which is 35 miles west of the old Polish frontier.”