GIANT PINCER MOVEMENT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 204, 30 August 1943, Page 5

GIANT PINCER MOVEMENT

RUSSIAN THREAT TO KONOTOP VITAL GERMAN RAIL CENTRE (By Telegraph— Pre® Association—Copyrigh‘) Recd. 11.30 p.m. London, Aug. 28. The Russians are now reaping the fruits of the titanic tank engagements north and north-west of Kharkov, state Moscow despatches. These battles were joined when the Germans threw in tank divisions in efforts to check the Russian threat to the main lateral railway from Bnansk to Konotop and Kiev—the last link along which the enemy can transfer reinforcements from sector to sector on the middle Ukraine front. T' The British United Press correspondent at Moscow says: a battle lasting some days the Russian tanks smashed the tkfeborate system of German fortifications between the Vorksla and Psiol Rivers. Ju the north-west the Red Army, over a 50-mile front, advancing nine miles daily, penetrated dense woodland and marshes. It is now thrusting forward to the open plains and has reached a point 20 miles from the lateral railway. It is still progressing, although more slowly, against furious counter-attacks.

‘■The Russian plans between Briansk and Poltava are becoming plainer. The intention is a giant pincer movement taking in the strategically-vital junction of Konotop. German counter-at-tacks south of Kharkov are stronger and more frequent, the enemy making an effort to delay the Russians, who are moving southward from linking up with Red Army advancing west of Isyum in the direction of the important Losovaya rail junction. i Reuter's Moscow correspondent reports that the Russians ate nammeinig through the German deience lines neariy lOu miles west 01 Kharkov in a pincer movement threatening Poltava ana .Krasnogracl and are uJ to 8U miles from the Dnieper River. The Germans are throwing in cooks and caipenters among reserves in an attempt to stem the Red Army’s advance, says Moscow raoio. Prisoners taken at Akhtyra proved the reserves used in that area were “total mobilisation*' troops. According io the Red Star the Germans are using new 45-ton Panther tanks on a mass scale, armed with a newly-designed 75 mm. gun. They embody features copied irom Soviet tanks. The panthers, like the Tigers, are able to move under water. They possess vulnerable points which the Russians quickly discovered. These novelties are being destroyed in dozens. The Russian air communique states: “Soviet planes on Friday night raided Lie rail junctions ot Poltava, Roslovl and Volnovakha (30 miles south of Stalino on the railway to Mariupol). Several enemy trains carrying troops and war materials were directly hit. As a result of explosions tires were started, enveloping a large number of trains, Enemy j aerodromes were also attacked anil explosions were observed among concentrations of planes on teh ground. Two of our planes are missing. ’