RENEWED DRIVE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 February 1944, Page 4

RENEWED DRIVE

RUSSIANS ROLLING, UP GERMAN POSITIONS ON APPROACHES TO KHERSON ENEMY COUNTER-OFFENSIVE SMASHED NEAR LUCK (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 12.45 p.m.) LONDON, February 28. A renewed drive south of Vshivoie is the first important step towards clearing the approaches to Kherson. The Russians, rolling up the last German positions in the funnel-shaped area between the Dnieper and Ingulets Rivers have cleared another fifteen miles of the Dnieper bank and advanced to positions 65 miles from Kherson. The Russians at the other end of the southern front, after smashing an attempted German counter-offensive west of Lutsk (or Luck) are now nearer the Curzon Line than at any time since the drive started. Only 30 miles separate the Russians in this sector from the nearest point of the border.

“The Times” Moscow correspondent says a change to colder weather .is helping the Russians in the Sokolniki sector. The warm winter has been one of the chief impeding factors to the Russians’ advance. The lakes are covered with only a thin layer of ice, which is insufficient for military movement.

The Russians are reported to be restoring Krivoi Rog without loss of time. The recovery of this region means that the industrial area, based on Dnepropetrovsk, Nikopol and Zaporozhe can restart production. Four or five of Dnepropetrovsk’s plants are partially restored, only awaiting iron from Krivoi Rog to begin work. Tonight's Soviet communique reports strong advances on the northern front. It says: “The; Russians, in the Pskov direction, are continuing their offensive and have captured Karamyshevo, 16 miles east of Pskov, Sladovichi and Pozerevichi, district centres in the Leningrad region, also over 450 other inhabited localities. They have occupied six railway stations, including Karamyshevo. The Russians northwest of Sokolniki have occupied over two hundred" inhabited localities, including Sloboda.”