Fourth Army in Ukraine Battle

Manawatu Times, Volume 69, Issue 60, 14 March 1944, Page 5

Fourth Army in Ukraine Battle

LONDON, March 12. The German front in Russia has lost all semblance of elasticity. It is cracking up now in one section and now in another, writes a correspondent of the Moscow News. The British United Press correspondent says that this statement appears to be borne out by the fact that the Germans, despite their huge tank losses, are continuing to throw in the remains of their forces. The enemy’s ability to manoeuvre apparently has been reduced to the lowest point. All he can do is throw in more tanks in an effort to save his men. Still another Russian army has been thrown into the gigantic Ukraine battle—Tolbukhin’s Pourth Ukrainian Army, which last autumn battered its way through Melitopol, has crossed the swollen Dnieper, and joined the great Russian advance through the Ukraine. Thrusting from Khakovka, Tolbukhin’s force has started spectacularly with the capture of an important district centre in the Nikolaiev region, Borislav. The new move means that the whole scouthern hinge of the German positions in the Ukraine is likely to be wrenched away. RUSSIAN MASTERY Stalin’s strategists clearly are masters of the situation as the mammoth Ukraine battle surges to a climax, says Reuter’s Moscow correspondent. The four Ukrainian armies of Zhukov, Koniev, Malinovsky and Tolbukhin are now linked in their attack along the great battle line from Tamopol to Borislav. At whatever sector one looks, the Germans are in the utmost difficulty. The Red Army holds practically the entire east bank of the Ingulets River from Krivoi-rog to a point within 20 miles of Nikolaiev, which is on the banks of the Ingul River. Once across the Ingul River the Russians have only to strike southwestwards to complete the encirclement of Nikolaiev. KONIEV’S QUICK ADVANCE Kornev’s forces in the past 24 hours have forced their way forward 20 miles south of Uman. Their drive is making a deep bulge in the German positions, which, unless von Mannstein is able to organise a stand on the Bug, has the makings of another vast trap inside which would be both Nikolaiev and Kherson. Red Star says that Koniev’s forces, pursuing the remnants of the routed German divisions west, southwest and south of Uman, are splitting up the German lines by thrusting wedges into them. Fearing a repetition of the Kanev debacle, thfe Germans are hastily evacuating the salients thus formed, and abandoning their equipment. A German communique states that the Russians to-day tried to cross the River Bug southwest of Uman. Reuter says this is a first indication that the Red Army had reached the river in that sector, and means that Kornev's forces have made an extremely rapid advance after breaking through the German defences at Uman. The Germans, who are fighting back savagely at Tamopol, have brought up reinforcements, including heavy artillery and armoured trains. The lay-out of the city favours the defenders. It is criss-crossed with long straight, narrow streets which aro easily swept by machinegun fire. Hand-to-hand fighting is going on in hundreds of houses.