RUSSIANS CAPTURE SARNY

Waikato Times, Volume 194, Issue 22244, 13 January 1944, Page 3

RUSSIANS CAPTURE SARNY

WELL WITHIN OLD POLISH BORDER RED ARMY LAUNCHES NEW OFFENSIVE ADVANCE ON BROAD FRONT—GERMANS MENACED LONDON, Jan. 12 Sarny, an important railway centre 35 miles inside the old Polish border, has been captured by the Russians. The announcement was made in a special order of the day issued by Marshal Stalin. Russia has launched a new offensive north of the Pripet Marshes. Strong forces have smashed through eight miles on an 18-miles front. General \ atutin’s forces driving south-west from the Kiev bulge are reported to have occupied a 40-mile stretch of the north bank of the River Bug south-east of Vinnitsa. Fighting along the river is rapidly developing into a battle of major importance. The Germans have thrown substantial reinforcements across the river to the northern bank and are making desperate attempts to hold this last strong defence line covering the Warsaw-Odessa railway. Big tank and infantry battles are raging. The Russians have not managed to get across the river, but they are steadily extending their grip on it. Berlin reports say that the lifeline serving all the German forces in the south is menaced by a powerful Russian advance on a broad front.

First Major Prize The Red Army claimed its first major prize in Poland with the capture ot Sarny. The Moscow correspondent ol the British United Press before the announcement of the capture of Sarny stated that the Germans around the town were counter-attacking more strongly than at any time since its push into Poland began. He pointed out that a 30-mile stretch of the important Lwow-Vilna railway would come under Russian control with the capture of Sarny. Sarny, which is the most westerly point the Red Army has so far reached, is 30 miles west of the old Polish border. It is the junction of two main railways—the Kiev-War-saw trunk line and the north-south railway f’-om Vilna to Rovno. The British United Press reports that powerful Red Army and infantry forces are moving down towards the river Bug along a 100-mile front as the Germans bring up increasing reserves in a last desperate effort to hold General Vatutin back from tne Rumanian frontier. The correspondent considers that some of the fiercest fighting of the whole campaign is to be expected in the next 24 hours in a decisive action which should v seal the fate of ail the German armies in South Russia. The Russian forces which captured Nemirovo have already outflanked from the south the great railway town of Vinnitsa, on the river Bug. Nemirovo is only a few miles east of the Bug river and battles for the first crossings may already be going on. Fight for Vital Railway The Russians are approaching the Bug river south of Vinnitsa little more than 20 miles from tne vital Odessa -Lwow railway. The Eug river still lies between the Red Army and the railway, which is one of the most important objectives ox j the whole West Ukrainian campaign. The Germans are expected to fight hard for the Bug line in view of its tremendous military and political importance. The Red Army smashed heavy German counter-attack's on the Ukrainian front, where the Russians are thrusting for the river Bug and the Rumanian border, says the Moscow radio. • The German attacks were launched with spearheads sometimes using 400 tanks, but were hurled back anct dispersed. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says that von Mannstem, after 21 days’ unbroken retreat, has halted at last on the north bank ox the river Bug. which is his most vital sector. He is obviously detex mined to make a stand at the approaches to his lifeline—tne Odessa-Lwow railway. Entrenched infantry and armoured con- j centrations are meeting the* Red j Army spearheds, probing towards the Bug river from a number of points. The Scandinavian Telegraph Bureau quotes a Eerlin military spokesman as saying: “The battle for Vinnitsa, covering the approaches to the Odessa-Lwow railway, will decide the late of the -whole Ukraine. German reinforcements have been massed in this sector to meet enormous Russian concentrations.”