DNIEPER VICTORY

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 17, 15 October 1943, Page 5

DNIEPER VICTORY

Mew Phase In Russia Now Opened

(By Telegraph.—Press Lsn.—Copyright.) LONDON, October 14. The furious battle of the past six days on the Dnieper Line has ended in Russian victory. Moscow radio says: "Yesterday the River Dnieper divided the Ukraine into two separate parts. oay it links these two parts together. Battles for the liberation of the whole of the Ukraine have begun on the rivers western bank. The crossing of the Dnieper is the worst blow the Germans have taken in Russia. . , • In the onslaught to recapture Kiev the Red Army has broken through German defences across the Dnieper north and south ot the city. The Germans, while still fighting furiously, admit some withdrawals in the Dnieper line. . .u To the south of the Dnieper bend the Russians have cut the railway from the Crimea, and broken into the streets of Melitopol. The "Daily Telegraph’s” Istanbul correspondent says it is reliably reported from Bucharest that the Germans have already begun to evacuate the Crimea.

While the first snows of the Russian winter fall in the far north, and autumn rains sweep the White Russian front, the German news agency reports tnat tne Russians have launched a new offensive between Gomel and the zone west of Smolensk. Numerous infantry divisions and waves of tanks, have been hurled against the German lines, The Moscow “Pravda” says direct railway traffic has been resumed between Moscow and Smolensk, which means that Smolensk will soon become a potent base for all-out drives against White Russia.

Wide Progress. Last night’s Soviet communique said: “The Red Army on the Melitopol sector, after a three-day battle, broke into tilt strongly-fortified enemy defence line north and south of the town, and fighting is now going on in the centre of Melitopol. After forcing the . Molochnayh River, we advanced five to six miles, and occupied 22 enemy strongpoints, the enemy sustaining enormous.losses in manpower and equipment. “The Russians in the Zaporozhe sector, after stubborn four-day battles penetrated strongly-fortified enemy defences, advanced five to eight miles, captured over 30 fortified strongpoints, and are now fighting five to six miles from the town of Zaporozhe. Our artillery fire and massed air attacks destroyed great quantities of men and material. . “On the west bank of the Dnieper, south of Kiev, the Russians developed various operations for the extension ot their bridgehead, and also penetrated enemy defences and advanced three to four miles. k . “North of Gomel the Red Army has broken into the enemy’s defences, forced the Sozh River, and advanced several kilometres. Fighting is now going on immediately before the town of Gomel. Germans Smash Kiev. The British United Press corresponds ent in Moscow, cabling last night, says that the capital'of the Ukraine is already a dead city. Despite the absence of a definite announcement from Russian or German sources, the British United Press goes so far as to say: “The Germans have driven thousands of citizens from Kiev and apparently sacked the city and left it practically deserted, with probably only a covering screen of troops to try to hold back the Russians.” The correspondent adds that the Russian frontal assault against the burning city has begun. The assault is being made from Rukhanov ’ Island, in the Dnieper, 300 yards from the outskirts pl Kiev. The Germans have blown up the two bridges connecting the island 'With Kiev The Russians on the west bank qt the Dnieper are also tightening their grip on the approaches to the city. Moscow radio declares that the Russians have driven a wedge far into the German lines on the west ’bank of the Dnieper, and the German news agency admits that in the face of large-scale attacks from Russian bridgeheads on the west bank, the German defence positions had to be withdrawn in certain places to avoid a threatening breach. General Rokossovsky’s troops launched the assault on the Dnieper under the greatest air umbrella ever put up on the Russian front, and the biggest air battles of the war are raging round) Kiev. 1< lames which are sweeping Kiev can be seen for miles and huge palls of smoke fill the Escapees from the city say that the most important buildings anfl monuments have been blown up, and dynamite charges have torn the main street apart. I’or 20 miles round Kiev houses and parks and even'orchards have been razed.

The “Izvestia’s” front-line correspondent says that Russians who have escaped from the city tell of the terrible things the Germans have done. For two years they have been mercilessly killing off the inhabitants. Tens of thousands of graves testify to German bestiality. The suburbs of Kiev have been burnt to the ground. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says that the Germans, in the effort to stave off the crushing weight of Russian reinforcements streaming across the Dnieper are pressing old Rumanian planes into service, even obsolete types captured in the western front campaign in IJ4O. ihis sorry collection is in action under the

protection of groups of modern Messerschmitts in the attempt to regain air superiority. Describing the break-through at Melitopol, which threatens the whole German position in southern Russia, Moscow radio says that the Red Army had to force two anti-tank barriers and then the River Moloshnaya, and finally a third tank barrier on the river’s western bank. After crossing the river the Russian troops converged on the town from the north and south. The fighting was fierce, and on one sector alone the Germans lost 4000 killed and 36 tanks and 104 guns destroyed. The Germans rushed up reserves, and heavy fighting is progressing for Melitopol itself. Berlin radio last night admitted that the Germans had carried- out a withdrawal in the Zaporozhe area following upon renewed Russian onslaughts with massed tanks. “Three Russian armies are hammering at the Zaporozhe defences. Warm autumn weather favours the Russian offensive against Zaporozhe,” it said. A German communique admits local penetrations (by the Russians along rhe Dnieper south-east of Kiev and at Zaporozhe.

Russian gunners , are firing across the Kerch Straits at the coastal defences in the Crimea.. The German commentator Captain Sertorius says that Soviet forces have landed on the southern coast of the Crimea.. He said it was too early yet to decide whether it was a major attack or only a reconnaissance thrust. GREAT BASES’ FATE LONDON, October 13. Eight great German bases along a front of nearly 1006 miles are immediately threatened Iby the Red Army. These towns —Vitebsk, Orsha. Mogilev, Gomel, Kiev, Dnepropetrovsk, Zaporozhe, and Melitopol—are the only big bases standing between the Red Army and the borders of Latvia, Poland and Rumania. At the southern end of the front the Russians are 200 miles east of the Rumanian border. At Kiev they are 150 miles east of Poland and north of Vitebsk they are within about .45 miles of Latvia. Observers believe it is well within the capacity of the Russians to smash through these distances within a few weeks. The evacuation of Kiev appears to be imminent. (