Big New Offensive Reported At Krivoi-rog

Manawatu Times, Volume 69, Issue 57, 10 March 1944, Page 5

Big New Offensive Reported At Krivoi-rog

(By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) Received Friday, 12.36 a.m. LONDON, March 9. Zhukov’s armies in their great drive northwest of Proskurov have now crossed the upper reaches of the Bug, states Reuter’s Moscow correspondent. Russian tanks and infantry are churning a path through the mud and ad vancing against the town along both banks of the river. Von Mannstein is throwing in powerful tank forces and making vigorous counterattacks in a big attempt to stem the Russian advance. Moving in a series of overlapping thrusts which constantly threaten the Germans with encirclement the Rus sians are pressing on Proskurov from the west, northwest and northeast. The First Ukrainian troops 20 miles north of Proskurov have outflanked on both sides von Mannstein’s troops at Staro Konstantinov. The Germans at Staro Konstantinov now fighting at the apex of a steadily narrowing funnel will be lucky to escape before the Russian pincers close. Further east the left wing of Zhukov's advance is creating an increasingly dangerous salient for the Germans north of Vinnitsa, one of the most strongly defended areas on the Ukraine front. At the present rate of the Russian advance the Germans will soon find themselves in a sack between the armies of Zhukov and Koniev. To close the sack it would be necessary for Koniev to launch a supporting drive across the Berdichev-Vinnitsa railway. The Stockholm Telegram Bureau quotes a Berlin military spokesman as saying that a great Russian breakthrough has been made in the German linos between Tarnopol and Proskurov. German resistance is stiffening but the Russians are now attacking on a wider front westwards and eastwards. The Germans at Krivoi-rog are retreating southwest of the town. The Berlin radio reports that the Russians after heavy artillery preparation launched attacks on a wide front southwest of Krivoi-rog. Most of the attacks were repelled but Russian motorised units broke deep into the German defence system at Skirokoie. Fierce fighting is progressing.