BIG NEW GAPS

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 20, 19 October 1943, Page 5

BIG NEW GAPS

Nazi Defence Line On Dnieper MENACE TO REAR ~ LONDON, October 18. The Red Army is steadily cracking the Dnieper line, and by last evening had made large breaches in the defences at two new points. Last night's communique from Moscow stated that the Russians on the right bank of the Dnieper south-east of Kremenchug penetrated strongly-fortified defences on a front 27 miles wide and 1 5 miles deep and captured a number of centres of resistance including one nearly 40 miles west of Dnepropetrovsk. The whole of the German forces in the area of the great Dnieper bend are in peril as a result of this break-through on the vital Kremenchug sector, which, the Daily Telegraph comments, is one of the Russians' most important successes since the opening of their offensive. The Germans have been fighting desperately to hold back the Red Army in this area, where their position covered the Dnieper bend, while they tried to keep closed their eastern gate to the Crimea in the Melitopol-Zaporozhe area.

The communique also stated that counter-attacks north of Kiev were repulsed, and the Russians improved their positions. The Red Army 30 miles south-west of Gomel successfully crossed the Dnieper and penetrated the defences over an area 18J miles wide and three to seven miles deep, and occupied the town of Loyev, which stands behind the junction of the Sozh and Dnieper rivers. The new bridgehead, it is reported, reaches out seven miles beyond the Dnieper. Describing the -break-through _ southwest of Krenieuchugf a 'front-line correspondent of the Moscow "Pravda says that the Red. Army men crossed the river by means of rafts‘and- fishing boats and pressed the Germans from the right -banit at the point of the bayonet. From time time the Germans launched counterattacks, .but the Russians bad crossed at so many points that the enemy bad to spread out his forces. Two-day Advance. In the meantime other Russian forces, including tanks and artillery, were pouring across, and the bridgeheads were systematically widened. At the end of two days of fierce fighting the Red Army had smashed through the defences on a wide front and inside their 15-mile wedge. _ In yesterday’s fighting alone in this area the Germans lost more than 2000 men and SO tanks. Last night the German news agency reported large-scale Dussian attempts to break the German lines along a 20-mile front north-west of Dnepropetrovsk. The news agency said that on aSturday the Russians threw in 15 rifle divisions and 200 tanks, supported Shy over 200 artillery, batteries and also powerful fighter formations, but did not achieve a breakthrough. It added: that the losses on both sides were heavy.

The Germans in Melitopol, who have been heavily reinforced, are still resisting with fanatical fury, but _ are being • steadily worn down. The British United Press says that the most murderous hand-to-hand street fighting since the flag-? of Stalingrad: is going on day and night in Melitopol. The Germans are using every building as a defence‘fortress. During yesterday 1000 Germans were killed and 32 of their tanks were knocked out. Last night’s Soviet communique said that the Russians captured several places,in eluding the Popovo railway station, south of Zaporozhe.

Huge Kiev Struggle. North and south of Kiev, the Germans have switched hig reserves, and. frontline dispatches state that the battles here are only comparable to the clash when Hitler launched his offensive on the Byelgorod and Orel sectors three months ago. The German command is doing its utmost to halt the Russian drive. One correspondent says the Germans’ counterattacks along the middle and lower Dnieper are '‘of incredible fury, born of desperation.” The Germans realize that on these battles depends the fate of the Dnieper line, and with it the fate of all the German armies in southern Russia. Another correspondent says that the German High Command is making a supreme bid to halt the Soviet spearheads, but the Germans are gradually having to loosen their hold and rive way. The fighting is still fiercest north of Kiev, and every daj’ the enemy is losing about ; 1000 men killed and vast quantities of ■ material. The Germans are no longer ■ confining their counter-blows to ibat- , taiions of infantry; whole divisions are being thrown in with tank support. German and Soviet aircraft arc waging continuous combat. Kiev holds as bitter a fate as Stalingrad for the Germans and encirclement of all the Germans in the city area is now a definite possibility, declares "Pravda.” The British United Press reports that the Russians, by penetrating the centre of the German line before Kiev, succeeded in frustrating stiff German counterattacks. (