TRIUMPH OF RUSSIANS

Waikato Times, Volume 132, Issue 22153, 27 September 1943, Page 5

TRIUMPH OF RUSSIANS

SMOLENSK AND ROSLAVL CAPTURED TROOPS PRESSING ON TO FRESH VICTORIES DNIEPER RIVER CROSSED—BIG STRATEGIC VICTORY LONDON. Sept. 26. After capturing the great German base of Smolensk the Russians are pressing on to fresh victories. They have reached the Dnieper River at many points and at some places are believed to have established small bridgeheads across the river. Hundreds of towns and villages have been captured in substantial advances on several fronts. North and south of Smolensk, toward Gomel and in the direction of Dnepropetrovsk sweeping advances have been made. The German High Command announced yesterday morning that Smolensk was evacuated on Friday night without enemy interference after the destruction of all important war installations. Moscow officially announced the capture of Smolensk 12 hours later. The city was the principal German base in Russia for two years, and was described by Marshal Stalin yesterday as “the most important strategical centre of the enemy’s defence in the western direction.”

The occupation of Roslavl, 70 miles south-east of Smolensk, is also announced by the Russians and admitted by the Germans. The final stage in the capture of Smolensk began on Friday after the enemy had been driven out of the fortifications covering the approaches to the city. A Moscow communique says the Russians then broke into the northern outskirts of the town and fierce street fighting went on as they cleared the enemy from section after section. By the evening they had occupied the whole of the northern suburbs. Then they reached the Dnieper River which bounds the city proper. During Friday night they forced the river and stonned across into Smolensk. Great fires were blazing on all sides of Smolensk and Roslavl when the Germans left, said the Berlin radio. 44 The Russians,” continued the radio, “saw the fires blazing and increased their efforts to interfere with our movements. Our troops held the Russians off. We disengaged sector by sector and left Smolensk after blowing up the bridges.”