Von Mannstein’s Desperate Plight

Manawatu Times, Volume 69, Issue 62, 16 March 1944, Page 5

Von Mannstein’s Desperate Plight

(By Telegraph— Assn.—Copyright.) Received. Thursday, 12.5 a.m. LONDON, March 15. The Red Amy is drawing the ring tighter around the trapped German divisions encircled in the Snegirovka area 30 mile.& east of Nikovaiev, reports the Moscow Red Star. The divisions were trapped as the result of the Soviet breakthrough on a wide front. The Germans were outflanked arid then surrounded. The enemy is rmffering enormous losses as his desperate efforts to break out of the trap are .‘Shattered. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says while the massacre of another German army has begun in the southern corner of the I>niepcr Bend other desperate battles with an equally fatal outcome for the Germans are imminent unless von M.amnstein can stage a last-minute stand on the eastern approaches to Nikolrdev before trying to fight his way across the Bug. Von. Mann stein faces a crisis such as he hrvJ not experienced throughout the winter campaign, states the Associated Press’s Moscow correspondent. It is firmly believed in Moscow that von Ma:onstein having lost his last natural defence line will not make a further determined stand until the Red Army contacts the Dniester. The Russians have severed all Ger nun sea communications with Niko lraev, having reached the mouth of the Hug and established artillery positions controlling all the exits to the Black Sea. The only large port now available to the Germans is Odessa which they are believed to be preparing to evacuate. The German - controlled Stockholm Telegram Bureau quotes well-infprined circles in Berlin as stating that the German High Command is believed tc be intending to evacuate all territory east of the Bug. “Taking into account the Russians’ numerical superiority our policy is to inflict casualties rather than stand and fight,” said a German military spokes man quoted by the Berlin radio. According to the Vichy radio von Mannstein’s tactics now are to dis engage and move his armies to the rear. The Red Army would like to wage a war of annihilation but the Germans refuse it. When the enemy pressure becomes too strong the Germans evacuate. “The crisis has come,” said General Dietmar, broadcasting over the Berlin radio. ‘‘ A downright critical situation has ariian on the eastern front. We are undoubtedly able to master the crisis, but some time must elapse because in this terrific new battle a quite unexpected new factor must be taken into account —mud! ” The German radio this morning broadcast for overseas listeners a recording of Dietmar’s “downright crisis broadcast.' * With the recapture pf the great ■Ukrainian gra-a port of Kherson the Soviet Army has regained the whole course of the Dnieper from White Russia to the Black Sea and the Ger mans blocked in the Crimea are further than ever from hope of relief. Kherson was evidently taken by General Malinovsky’s troops coming quickly down the right bank from Berislav, since the Russians who were on the left bank opposite Kherson were commanded by General Tolbukhin, who is not mentioned. In the central sector of the offensive the Russians are within a dozen miles of the railway junction of Novo Ukrainia. Turther west they have re gained much of the ground lost during the German counter-offensive earlier in the year, including Ailyntsi and Lipo vets (east of Vinnitsa) and are some 15 miles east of Vinnitsa. On the extreme right, although the Russians have not yet been able to cap ture Tamopol (on the Odessa-W’arsaw’ railway), they have advanced 20 miles southeast of that town to Skalat. They have thus created a solid wedge across the main trunk railway extending about 40 miles east to west and 10 miles beyond the line itself.