RUSSIANS’ NEW DRIVE

Waikato Times, Volume 194, Issue 22245, 14 January 1944, Page 3

RUSSIANS’ NEW DRIVE

TOWN'S MAY BE OUTFLANKED GERMANS HARD PRESSED (Received Jan. 14, noon) . LONDON, Jan. 13 The Russians’ new drive in the Mczir region is the fifth offensive in seven weeks, and, as far as can be judged, is aimed along the northern side of the Pripet Marshes. One of the places reported captured is Dcmanovichi, on the railway about 20 miles north of Mozir, and the Russian positions now tend to outflank both Mozir itself and Kalinkovochi, an important railway junction where the lines north-south and east-west intersect. Three branches of these lines are now held by the Russians. A fourth goes westwards to Pinsk and Brest-Litcvsk. It is too early yet to assess the weight behind the Russian attack in this region, but if the Russians make a further substantial advance they will have the advantage in the north that they have in their deep thrust to Sarny—their flank will be covered to some extent by the Pripet Marshes. For a month past the armies north of the marshes have been bogged down. The new offensive suggests that the ground is now frozen hard enough to make possible the largescale movements •of armour and guns. Germans to Make Stand German counter-moves east of Vinnit.sa are described in Moscow messages as so far on a local scale. In one narrow sub-sector the Germans concentrated hundreds of tanks and large forces of infantry in a night-long battle to break through. The tanks inflicted heavy losses, but were unable to prevent local gains. This is clearly a most important part of the front, where the Germans have announced their determination to make a stand along the upper Bug river to protect the vital railway behind it. In the Dnieper bend the Russians are held up for the present by the buttress of Smyela and Krivoi Rog on either side of their Kirovograd offensive. Good progress, however, is being made on both sides north of the Pripet Marshes, where the Russian drive on Pinsk threatens the south end of the White Russian front via Gomel.