One of Most Fantastic Pursuits of War

Manawatu Times, Volume 69, Issue 66, 21 March 1944, Page 5

One of Most Fantastic Pursuits of War

WEDGE INTO POLAND WIDENED. LONDON, Maxell 19. One of the most fantastic pursuits of the Russian war resulted from the capture of Yampol. The Germans alter crossing the Odessa-Lwow railway hastened westwards, but a strong Bed Army column marching on a parallel course caught up and passed tne Germans and hnally turned on them. The remnants of the Germans reached Yampol, only to be again attacked and again they scattered. While part of the Russian forces stormed Yampol others drove the Germans from their riverside positions to the north and The routed enemy troops, with the wide and rapid river at their oacks, scattered in disorder in all directions and many attempting to cross the river failed to reach the other side. Meanwhile, the other Soviet spear heads are rapidly pushing to the north of Yampol. The fall of Zhmerinka on Saturday after a two days' battle has released considerable forces which arc already reported to have resumed the advance on the area between the South ern Bug and the Dniester Rivers. Zhmerinka, which is a supply centre tor the 100-mile German front between Proskurov and Tulchiu fell like a ripe plum. The Red Army artillery battered the German defences from the ea3t bank of the Bug, crossed the river with the water rising and ice still floating on it, and reached the German artillery positions, which they found abandoned. Zhmennka’s fall completely outflanks Vinnitsa. A swift widening a tno wedge driven into Poland is indicated by the capture to-day of Kremenez, 75 miles east-north-east of Lwow. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says that Kremenez is a powerful natural mountain fortress. The correspondent reports that the Red Army has also captured Baratin, 52 miles from Lwow. The Berlin radio states that the Germans have abandoned part of Kowei. Reuter says that the German admission that the Russians have reached Kowei indicates that the Red Army has advanced 40 miles beyond Luck, which is the furthest point claimed by the Russians. To-night"s Russian communique repeats Marshal Stalin’s Order of the Day on Kremenez, and adds: The Russians also captured orer 40 inhabited places, including Scstratin, 57 miles northeast of Lwow. The Russians northwest of Zhmerinka advanced and captured ten large inhabited places. The Russians south of Zhmerinka developed their offensive and captured over 50 inhabited places, including Mikhaiovla, 16 miles southeast of Zhmerinka on the Zhmerinka-Odessa railway. The Russians closed in on the town of Mogilev, 60 miles south oi Vinnitsa, and are fighting on the outskirts. Troops of the Second Ukrainian front have reached the Dniester River over a GO-mile front and forced the river over a stretch of 30 miles wide. They have captured on the west bank of the Dniester over 40 inhabited places, including the district centre •>! the Moldavian Soviet Republic of Soroki, which is 30 miles southwest of Mogilev. The Russians southwest ot Novo Ukrainia, also southwest of Dobrinels, captured over 70 places including a district centre in the Niko laiev region of Belancts, 28 miles south west of Dobrinels. With the fall of Zhmerinka, the German stronghold of Vinnitsa, on the left bank of the Bug, is now completely outflanked on all sides and its fall seems a matter of the immediate future, says a Moscow message. On their way south to the mouth of the river the Russians are almost ready to launch a decisive storm on Nikolaiev. Soroki, which the Russians captured on Sunday, is the third largest town in Bessarabia. The noted Russian journalist, Ilya Ehrenburg, commenting on the Red Army’s arrival on the Dniester, says: “Who can doubt that we shall reach 'he Prith, the Vistula, the Oder and tac Spree rivers. Hitler took Pragu j and Vienna in the month of March, but the Ides of March have conic for ven Ilannstoin’s Germans. Soon they will come lor all Germany. Hitle - s sun, contrar:/ - to the sun's habits, is setting in the east.” j; A Russian supplementary conimuni- ( flue states. “Soviet mobile units after {• a skilful and successful manoeuvre west of Eratslav *ut the highways along which the Germans are retreating and forced the enemy to fight under adverse conditions. Russian tan.is and infantry attacked from all ; sides and routed three Rumanian bat- i ta.Kus and three Gennan divisions.' 1

The Russians killed more than 4000 of this enemy group. The Germans fortified iiiaemieniec most effectively hut the Russians bypassed the town and assaulted it from the rear. Other Bus | sian units attacked from the cast anti ‘ the enemy was unable to halt. ’ ’