SWIFT NEW DRIVE

Waikato Times, Volume 132, Issue 22150, 23 September 1943, Page 5

SWIFT NEW DRIVE

TRIUMPHANT RUSSIANS GETTING NEAR KIEV ADVANCE OF RED ARMY (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received Sept. 23, 1 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 22 Tonight’s Russian communique reveals a swift new Russian drive, apparently intended to outflank Kiev from the south. The capture of Oster Pereyslavl and Solotonosha, 45 miles south-east of Kiev and 80 miles south-east of Kiev respectively, brings the Red Army within eight miles of the Dnieper River over a 40-mile front. The communique also reveals striking advances in the Gomel sector, where the Russians are moving westward over a broad front north and south of the Briansk-Gomel railway. Reuter says that the increased threat to Gomel brings the battle for the liberation of White Russia into an active stage. The Red Army, with the Dnieper River within its grasp at several points and its pincer movement against Smolensk and outflanking movements against Kiev developing dangerously, is also giving serious attention to the elimination of Poltava, which at present is the most pronounced bulge in the German defence line. The Moscow correspondent of the British United Press says the German defences at Poltava are finally cracking. General Konev’s l troops fought their way into the outskirts of the great railway junction of Poltava. The Germans have clung to Poltava for the last six weeks at great cost. They have been using Poltava as a clearing-house for their troops from the Donetz River, moving them back along the Poltava-Kremenchug line. A Red Army column south-east of Poltava is astride of the PoltavaKrasnograd railway and at some points is only 12 miles from Poltava. Trapping Large Force

The correspondent points out that if the Russians now strike westward they can cut the Poltava-Kremen-chug line, thereby trapping all the German forces in Poltava itself.

The Izvestia says: “Through the crystal-clear autumn air of the Ukraine the Russian troops can already see the gilt domes of the churches of Kiev glistening in the sunshine.”

The paper adds that the Russians beyond Chernigov are forcing the Germans back under great pressure towards the upper Dnieper River 80 miles above Kiev. The Russians further north are advancing across the last five miles separating them from Roslavi.

Implying new retreats in the Roslavi area, Captain Sertorioifs said: “The enemy has considerably increased his pressure in the Roslavi sector, j The Germans are meeting the pressure with elastic defence tactics. The Russians are attacking with very powerful forces in the Smolensk sector, where the pincer movement is taking shape. A Russian communique records a total cf 880 inhabited places captured during the day. It says the port of Anapa, north-west of Novorossisk, was captured after fierce fighting. The Izvestia says the Russians in. the Kuban bridgehead are less than 10 miles from Temryuk, the largest port remaining in German hands.