NAZI DEFENCES PIERCED

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 230, 26 June 1944, Page 5

NAZI DEFENCES PIERCED

Double Soviet Drive In White Russia SEPARATE ARMIES

(By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright.) (Received June 25, 7.5 p.m.) LONDON, June 24. / Marshal Stalin, in an order of the day, says: “Troops on the first Baltic front today, supported by massed artillery and the Red Air Force, pierced the Germans deeply echeloned fortified defence area north-west of Vitebsk over 22 miles of the front to a depth of from 12 to 26 miles and having widened the breach to 50 miles, reached the western Dvina River on a 22-mile front.” Fresh Russian troops, infantry and mobile guns, hammered the German lines on either side of Vitebsk. Big forces of Stormoviks and fighters are keeping up incessant strafing of German communications behind Vitebsk, while extremely bitter hand-to-hand fighting is going on at the spearhead of the Russian break-through south-east of the city. The Germans, resisting with great ferocity, are sending into battle hand-picked storm troops. The Exchange Telegraph’s Moscow correspondent says that the Red Army’s operations north-west and south-east of Vitebsk, though synchronized, are being conducted by two separate armies. The Luftwaffe is either overwhelmed or has not dared to accept the Russian air force’s challenge. The British United Press Moscow correspondent says that the Russians, sweeping round both sides of Vitebsk, have cut the last railway from the town and are within six miles of the last road from it.

Sliemilino, 23 miles north-west of Vitebsk, has been captured, said a Russian communique yesterday, and also the railway stations of Sirotiuo ands Yozvino. on the Vitebsk-Polotsk railway. The Red Army south-west of Vitebsk has captured the railway station of Zamastoshye, 13 miles south of Vitebsk. „ . A German, commentator said that Orsha was a focal point of the new offensive, for with its capture the Rus-sian-s could drive down the big arterial road to Minsk. Major Threats.

A German High Command communique said yesterday that the attacks were carried out over a wide front, supported by tanks and battle planes. “Local penetrations were eliminated by immediate counter-attacks. Grim fighting is still in progress on both sides of Vitebsk, the communique said, “The Russians between Polotsk and Novorzhev, and also north-east of Ostrov, have carried out major thrusts which were ineffective. ’ The German news agency, quoting a military spokesman, said that a largescale Russian offensive . was at present focused against four points; first, south of the Magilev-Smolensk highway; seeond. on either side of Vitebsk, with the focal point at Sitorino, north of Vitebsk ; third east of Polotsk, 60 miles north-west of Vitebsk to the area of Novorzhev; and fourth, north of Ostrov. The military spokesman addetL that the whole area between the Upper Dnieper and Ostov was thus included in the. new front, with the main point of gravity in the north. >■■■■“ The German news agency stated that the new Soviet offensive was launched on the third anniversary of the outbreak of the Russo-German war. The strategic aim appeared to be a break-through on the Dvina into the Baltic countries. Many Russian Planes.

The Red Army on Thursday afternoon and evening, supported by a great height of artillery and many battle planes, struck 24 times at the focal point of the fighting on both sides of the Smolensk-Orsha highway, said the German news agency’s commentator von Hammer. “Though the Russians were constantly replacing their badly-mauled formations, all the attacks were smashed,” he said. “The Russians at the other focal point south-east of Vitebsk launched a major attack with seven divisions against the German bolt positions and by evening breached the defences of an important river. The fighting in this breach was still raging. “The lively operations on _ Thursday south of Pskov and on the Narva front may be regarded as merely diversionary actions.”

NEW BREAK-THROUGH Russian Offensive On Mogilev Sector (Received June 25, 10.30 p.m.) LONDON, June 25. A Moscow communique says: “The Russians on the Mogilev sector went over to the offensive, crossed the Pronya River, broke strongly fortified enemy defences north of Chausy, and advanced 13 miles, enlarging the break-through to 30 miles in width. They occupied more than 70 localities.” •