GREAT BLOW SOON IN WHITE RUSSIA

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 6, 2 October 1943, Page 5

GREAT BLOW SOON IN WHITE RUSSIA

Russians Massing Behind Advancing Spearheads (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Received October 1, 7 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 30. Powerful Russian forces west and north-west of Smolensk arei massing over a front of 200 miles for a concerted blow to smash the whole German central front from its hinges and open the gate* way to Poland and the Baltic States. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says that the momentum of the Russian advance has brought Gomel and Vitebsk, which are anchors of the whole White Russian line, into imminent The fall of Gomel, which is apparently inevitable, would cut away; the hinge of the central and southern fronts, and send them rolling back on either side of the dreaded Pripet marshes., The Germans' elaborate defences round Gomel are crumbling before the Red. Army, which has crossed the Soj River north and south of the town. J.

Elsewhere on the White Russian front the Russians are advancing toward Mogilev, aud are less than 40 miles south-west of Vitebsk. The Russians are closing in round Orsha at the rate of 10 miles a day. Kriehev, which the Russians captured today is the junction of two railways—the UnechaOrsha line and the Mogilev-Roslavl line —and is on the west bank of the Soj River CO miles south-east of Mogilev. The British United Press correspondent in Stockholm says reports from Berlin in the past few days have emphasized that the Germans are stiffening their resistance and there is a growing belief in Berlin that the retreat is ending. Kiev Bombardment. The Red Army’s intensified investment of Kiev is at present taking the form of a terrific air bombardment of the German batteries which Field-Marshal von Mannstein has placed on the rim of the cliffs on the west bank of the Dnieper. The Russians, who captured the middle Dnieper island of Trukhanov, 450 yards from the city opposite the central part of Kiev, are the keenest spectators of the dogfights over the German batteries. They know the Red Air Force is smashing the way for them into the heart of the enemy’s west bank position, says the British United Press correspondent;,at Moscow. 3 Scores of squadrons . of Stormovik fighter-bombers are pounding the batteries and also machinegunning each battered German unit that struggles across the Dnieper to the west bank north and south of Kiev. While the aerial softening up of»Kiev’s outer defences was going on, veteran troops of Stalingrad, figthing under General Rokossovsky, wiped out the last German rearguard on’the east bank of the Dnieper opposite Kiev. It was detachments of Stalingrad veterans which jumped across to Trukhanov Island. Soviet Communique. Tonight’s Soviet communique states that the Russians in the Mogilev direction continued to develop their successful offensive, and advanced from seven to 12 miles and after fording the River Soj, fought their way into the town and railway junction of Kricev, which was captured. The Russians also occupied over 170 inhabited places. • In the Gomel direction the Russians advanced in sotne sectors for six or seven miles and occupied over 60 places. The Russians in the Vitebsk direction, overcoming enemy resistance, continued their offensive and captured over 30 inhabited localities.