VATUTIN FORCING PACE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 88, Issue 6, 8 January 1944, Page 5

VATUTIN FORCING PACE

NAZIS FLEE FROM BERDICHEV

ENEMY DEFENCES SPLIT OPEN

(By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright)

Recd. 9 p.m.

London, Jan. 6.

General Vatutin is forcing the pace as he drives the fleeing Germans south-west of Berdichev, where the enemy’s losses in killed, wounded and taken prisoners are unofficially estimated at 12,000, states Reuter’s correspondent, cabling from Moscow. The Germans are apparently concentrating on the defence of Vinnitsa with the object of holding off the Russians from the Odessa railway, adds the correspondent.

General Vatutin is firmly astride of the big Kiev salient and punching hard against the retreating Germans. Operations are rapidly moving to a new climax for the Germans at the northwestern end of the Dnieper line.

The Russians are increasingly threatening Kanev, which is the Germans’ only remaining hold on the right bank of the middle Dnieper. The fall of Berdichev, after five days of fighting of extreme ferocity between large forces on both sides, is hafiled by the Soviet Press as a major victory. It splits open the German defences protecting the approaches to the River Bug and the Odessa-Rovno-Vihia railway. Z A Russian spearhead is already 15 miles north-east of Shepetovka.

The gradual but inexorable loss of communications made the Germans frenziedly cling to the important rail centre of Berdichev. The enemy, right to the moment of the Russians’ final attack, were building fortifications and bringing up reinforcements. It was only after the Red Army forces had fought from street to street that what was left of the once prosperous farming town was reclaimed.

General Vatutin’s column is pressing on rapidly from Berdichev over a broad front against the old Polish border, say s the British United Press correspondent. This column captured Novomiropol, half-way between Berdichev and Shepefovka, and by the capture of Zozov is now only 25 miles east-north-east of Vinnitsa. Other places captured by the Russians include the rail station of Lipovets, 23 milas east of Vinnitsa and 12 miles from the German escape railway leading from the Dnieper bend and Odessa to Poland. Agencies also specify the capture of Kovno, on the railway from Berdichev to Brest Litovk.

The Russian communique reports the capture of Shashkov, 35 miles due south of Byelaya Tserkov, Chodorkov, 28 miles south-east of Zhitomir, and Gorodnitsa, which is the terminus of the railway line on the old Polish frontier 20 miles north-west of Novograd Volynsk.

The Red Army column which took Byelaya Tserkov is pushing out southeastwards in the direction of Cherkasy. The Germans entrenched along the west bank of the Dnieper in the Cherkasy region represent a menace 1 to Gen-era! Vatutin’s left flank should he advance in the Dnieper bend. To-night’s Russian communique says:—“The Red Army north of Neva! continued the offensive and captured several inhabited places. Troops ol

the First Ukrainian Front captured Rokitno, 12 miles west of the old Polish border, and Chudnov, district centre in the Zhitomir region. They also captured the district centre of the Rovno region besides over eight other inhabited places.” The British United Press emphasises that the Russian capture of Rokitno is the first official Rusian intimation that General Vatutin’s forces are across the old Polish border. Enemy sources continue to play up the magnitude of the Russian tank attack east of Kirovograd. One Berlin commentator called it the greatest Lank battle in the winter campaign. Berlin, through its "verseas service, which the German people do not hear,

forecast vast new retreats comparable with those of last summer and autumn, when the Germans fell 'back 350 miles from Kursk. The military comentator Hallensleben said:—“Elastic defence and defence are everywhere again the order of the day for the High Command this winter. This probably means that developments this winter will be similar to those seen during the summer and autumn in Russia. What does it matter if Russian territory is given up in order to preserve our army in view of the tasks facing the Wehrmacht elsewhere? ’ The Germans below Belaya Tserkov have big forces, but the Russians have wedged into their lines in many places. They are nearly 40 miles south of Belaya Tserkov and have reached points due east of Vinnitsa. Moscow radio says the capture of Berdichev was achieved by a swift manoeuvre which cut up the German defences and threatened the Nazis with outflanking. The Germans, supported by large tank reinforcements from other sectors, attempted to hold th? town despite huge losses, but began to lose their nerve when the Russians cut the railway south of thtown and captured a position six miles north-west of Berdichev. Battles soon developed on the outskirts of the town. The Germans increased their resistance and counterattacked several times daily, but lost heavily and were compelled to roll back. The Russians broke into the suburbs and after strepf fighting the town was taken by assault. Prisoners and booty were captured. Vichy radio, in an unusually outspoken report on the Eastern Front, said: “It spenis that Vatutin’s offensive is forcing the Germans to give up the entire territory south of the Dnieper. Vatutin, besides using more than 1,000,000 men. has considerable reserves which have not yet been in action.” A new Russian offensive in the Propoisk area of White Russia. 120 miles south Vitebsk, is reported bv Berlin radio. The attack is designed to i»mash the German bridgehead east of the Dniep r r, says the radio. The Russians, after using fog shells and putting up a heavy barrage, attacked with big forces, first westwards, then northwards. Fierce battles are going on. The Russian armies are exploiting to the full the capture of Belaya Tserkov and Berdichev. and are Dressing forward hot on the heels of th" retreating enemy. The Germans, flung out of their two main bastions in this urea, are facing a grave situation. The military correspondent of the German overseas news agency has a gain l>e®n speakimr of “plastic defence,** thp phrase the Germans used