DNIESTER BEND

Waikato Times, Volume 194, Issue 22354, 22 May 1944, Page 3

DNIESTER BEND

GERMANS ALLEGE ATTACK NERVOUSNESS APPARENT

(Received May 22, 2.15 p.m.) LONDON, May 21

Red Army scout units thrusting sharply at widely separated points on the eastern front are tying up considerable forces and causing the enemy nervously to describe every minor attack as an attempted breakthrough, whereas the spring lull actually continues, says Reuter’s Moscow correspondent.

The German News Agency’s commentator von Hammer declared that hundreds of Luftwaffe planes were thrown in to check a Russian onslaught against the German bridgehead above Grigoriopol. “Our positions stretched like a bowstring in front of the Dniester bend,” he said. “German grenadiers met the Russian attack. The Russians at first penetrated our lines and on the third day of the attack threatened to engulf our whole positions, but were finally repulsed.” The Berlin radio stated that the Russians were repeatedly attempting to cut the Jassy-Kishinev railway line. Tonight’s Soviet communique again reports no material changes along the front. Drive in Carpathians Moscow reports small-scale actions on the two most active sectors of the southern front—the Carpathian foothills south-east of Satinslawow, and on the lower Dniester, north-west of Tiraspol. In both cases local German

attacks were beaten back with fairly heavy losses for the size of the forces engaged. The Moscow communique also reports a minor flare-up on the White Russian front, where Russian troops have made some improvement in their positions south-east of Vitebsk, and smashed several enemy attempts to drive them back again. The British United Press, quoting a Budapest report, says powerful Russian forces have launched a new drive in the Carpathian foothills west of Kolomyja. Heavy fighting has been going on for several days. The Germans and Hungarians pushed the Russians back to their original positions.