WITH ALL SPEED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 January 1944, Page 3

WITH ALL SPEED

RUSSIANS DRIVING • WESTWARD VON MANSTEIN’S POSSIBLE TACTICS DIFFICULTIES MUCH INCREASED (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.45 a.m.) RUGBY, January 4. The Russians are taking full advantage of the comparative lightness of the German resistance, and of the fact that the Pripet Marshes guard their right flank, to drive westwards with all speed, states a London military commentator. Marshal von Manstein, who as yet shows no sign of withdrawing from the Dnieper bend, is evidently retaining powerful cover for Berdichev and Vinnitsa. Nevertheless these place s v/ill probably fall within the next week. The fact that the Germans are still trying to retain all their positions in the Dnieper bend strengthens an opinion that von Manstein contemplates mounting a powerful counterattack, although his difficulties must be greatly increased by the loss of such obvious advanced basds as Novograd Volynsk, Ovelsk and Baranovka. The capture of Novograd Volynsk is important because, as most of the fighting in this area is on roads and railways, possession by the Russians of this large junction has given General Vatutin a choice. By greater mobility, he may either drive on westwards, or he friay switch units towards the southwest, to throw greater weight against the Berdichev and Vinnitsa positions.