ADVANCE OF RUSSIANS

Waikato Times, Volume 132, Issue 22152, 25 September 1943, Page 5

ADVANCE OF RUSSIANS

TROOPS REACH DNIEPER RIVER GERMANS EVACUATING KUBAN BRIDGEHEAD SOVIET PROGRESS TOWARDS KIEV AND SMOLENSK LONDON, Sept. 24. Russian forces have made a general advance all along the line and are believed to have reached the Dnieper River at some places. German reports say that the Russians attempted to cross the Dnieper near the confluence of the Desna, where the river is wide and swift. Considerable progress was made toward Smolensk, Gomel, Kiev and Dnepropetrovsk and in the Kuban north of Novorossisk. The German overseas radio says that the Germans are systematically evacuating heavy equipment, important installations and civilians from the Kuban bridgehead.

Sweeping On The Russian armies are sweeping on rapidly to the long line of the Dnieper River and are reported to be so close at some points that they can shell enemy positions on' the other side. Correspondents say that the struggle for the Dnieper crossings is about to begin and may develop into the biggest of the war in Russia. According to the Stockholm correspondent of the Daily Telegraph, the Russians have already reached the Dnieper on a narrow front opposite the German-held town of Cherkasy. Along the middle and lower reaches of the river from west of Chernigov to south of Zaporozhe the Soviet armies have advanced until they are nowhere more than 40 miles from its left bank. On the upper reaches of the Dnieper the Russians are steadily encircling the great fortress of Smolensk. The Red Army column that has been striking to the north-west of Smolensk has made good progress toward the keypoint of Vitebsk and was last night reported to be within 30 miles of the town. In the middle Dnieper area, General Rokossovsky’s forces have occupied two places 20 miles frem Kiev and one Moscow correspondent says they have since broken through the defence ring 10 miles from Kiev. Further south the Russians are keeping up their drive toward the bridges of the lower Dnieper. Changes in Strategy In the present offensive the Russians have introduced important changes in strategy, states the Stockholm correspondent of the Daily Telegraph. The most important is the use of three lines of armies, leapfrogging one over the other in turn. Two of the armies rest while one fights. When the forward army is to be rested it leaves its equipment, which is taken over by the relieving force. These tactics ensure speed, and the movement of heavy gear is reduced to a minimum To defeat three great armies in depth is beyond the Germans’ power and they are acknowledging this fact by abandoning the hedgehog bastions which took two years to build. The German Army is not clearing out of the vast Russian spaces to shorten its line and secure divisions for transfer to the west, says the correspondent. No matter what Nazi propagandists say, there can be no doubt that the German High Command has done all it could to hold back the Russian armies.