RUSSIANS NEAR LATVIA

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 13, 11 October 1943, Page 5

RUSSIANS NEAR LATVIA

Reported Evacuation Move By Enemy TIMOSHENKO CLEARS TAMAN FRONT (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Received October 10, 10.50 p.m.) LONDON, Oct. 9. Advanced Russian elements are now only 43 miles from the Latvian border after a 35-mile advance in two days, states a report received in Stockholm from Moscow. Reuter’s Stockholm correspondent, quoting diplomatic sources, says the Germans are evacuating the Baltic States at the rate of a regiment a day. ' The evacuation is believed to have started about September 20, and it also includes German civilians. The Germans are also reported to be withdrawing heavy equipment, including big guns, from the Leningrad front.

The Russians have captured Lesno, an important station on the SmolenskVitebsk railway. It is their greatest gain yet in the drive on Vitebsk. Tonight’s Russian communique says the Germans had converted Lesno into a heavily fortified stronghold, but Soviet forces first 'by-passed the town and then stormed and captured it by simultaneous blows from the north and south.

The (Russian drive here and farther north in the iNevel region, Moscow messages say, is apparently aimed at cutting into the rear of Vitebsk. Berlin radio says that the (Red Army in the Nevel area is making an all-out effort to achieve a large-scale strategic breakthrough, and that in comparison with the. great battle in this area all the other sectors of the front lose interest.

The fighting in the iNevel area has reached a violence comparable with the fiercest battles since the outbreak of the war, says [Paris radio, quoting Berlin. The report says that the [Russians have thrown in 12 infantry divisions and considerable tank forces. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says that three German attempts o retake Nevel have failed and the Russians have penetrated 12 miles beyond the town. . Crimea Defence Weakened. In an order of the day, Marshal Stalin announced that the Taman Peninsula has been completely cleared of the enemy. The statement emphasizes that the Germans ..have not only lost their last springboard’ for a possible invasion of the Caucasus, but have also lost a stretch of country which has formed part of the defences of the Crimea. The Germans left 20,000 dead on the battlefield of Taman and 3000 prisoners were taken. The Russian divisions which cleared the Taman Peninsula will in future be known as the Taman, Temryuk, Ahqpa and Kuban divisions. The Russians captured on the peninsula 52 tanks, 337 guns and large quantities of war material. . Moscow radio announced that Marshal Timoshenka has been awarded the Order of Suvarov (first class) for the direction of the operations on the Taman Peninsula. Colonel-General Petrov has been awarded the same order and promoted to Army-General. Announcing the evacuation of the Taman Peninsula, Berlin radio stated that the remaining German units were transferred last night to the Crimea after all break-through and outflanking attempts, carried out by far superior Russian forces, had been repelled. The evacuation of the peninsula began several weeks ago .when the disengaging movements on the Mius and Donetz fronts made a withdrawal of the extreme southern flank necessary, the radio said. New Dnieper Bridgehead?

In the bridgeheads across the Dnieper the Russians repulsed heavy counter-at-tacks and on sectors improved their positions. _ , . Berlin speaks of a new Led Army bridgehead across the river near Dnepropetrovsk. Last night’s Russian communique reported heavy fighting during yesterday at the Dnieper bridgeheads, an advance of 71 miles on the Vitebsk sector, the capture of 60 localities on the Nevel sector, and mopping up on the Tainan Peninsula. Fifty enemy tanks and 87 planes were knocked out on the previous day.

The German forces in the Crimea and behind the Dnieper themselves are in acute danger of being split up into small groups. Everything depends bn how fast the Russians can expand their advance and widen their western bank bridgeheads. Reuter reports that Hitler issued an order of the day on September 17 saying: “The Dnieper positions must be held at all costs. All who attempt to retreat will be shot.”