POWERFUL RUSSIAN BLOW

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 233, 2 October 1943, Page 5

POWERFUL RUSSIAN BLOW

WILL SMASH CENTRAL FRONT. FALL OF GOMEL INEVITABLE (By Telegraph—Preee Association —Copyright) Reed. 7.30 p.m. London, Sept. 30. Powerful Russian forces west and north-west of Smolensk are massing over a 200-mile front for a concerted blow to smash the whole German central front from its hinges and open the gateway to Poland and the Baltic States. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says the momentum of the Russian advance brought Gomel and Vitebsk, - which arc the anchors of the whole White Russian line, into imminent danger. The fall of Gomel, which is apparently inevitable, would cut away the hinge of the central and southern fronts and send them rolling back on either side of the dreaded Pripet Marshes.

The Germans’ elaborate defences at Gomel are crumbling before the Red Army, which crossed the Siu River, north and south of the town. Elsewhere on the White Russian front the Russians are only 25 miles south-east of Mohilev and less than 40 miles south-east of Vitebsk. The Russians are closing in around Orsha at a rate of 10 miles a day. Krichev, which the Russians captured to-day, is the junction of two railways—the Unecha-Orsha line and the MohilevRoslovl line, situated on the west bank ot the Soj River, 60 miles south-east of Mohilev.

The British United Press correspondent at Stockholm says that reports from Berlin in the past lew hours emphasised the Germans’ stiffening resistance and the growing belief in Berlin that the retreat is ending. The Red Army’s intensified investment of Kiev is at present taking the form of a terrific air bombardment of the German batteries which von Mannstein placed on the rim of the cliffs on the west bank of the Dnieper. The Russians who captured the middle Dnieper island of Trukhanov, 450 yards from the city, opposite the central part of Kiev, are the keenest spectators of dogfights over the German batteries. They know the Red Air Force is smashing a way for them into the heart of the enemy's west bank position, says the British United Press Moscow correspondent. Scores of Stormovik fighter-bombers are pounding the batteries, and also machine-gunning each battered German unit as it struggles across the Dnieper to the west bank north and south of Kiev.

While the aerial softening-up of Kiev's outer defences is going on veteran troops of Stalingrad, under General Rokossovsky, wiped out the last German rearguard on the east bank ot the Dnieper opposite Kiev. It was detachments of the Stalingrad veterans which jumped across to Trukhanov Island.

To-night’s Soviet communique states: "The Russians in the Mohilev direction have continued to develop their successful offensive and have advanced 7to 12 miles. After fording the river Soj they fought their way into the town and the railway junction of Krichev, which was captured. The Russians also occupied over 170 inhabited places. In the Gomel direction the Russians advanced in some sectors six to seven miles and occupied over 60 places. Russians in the Vitebsk direction have continued their offensive and captured over 30 localities."