IN SERIOUS DANGER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 September 1943, Page 4

IN SERIOUS DANGER

GERMANS ON EASTERN FRONT FROM SMOLENSK FORESTS TO SEA OF AZOV. VICTORIOUS RUSSIAN PROGRESS. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) (Received This Day, 1.0 p.m.) LONDON, September 1. The Red Army is seriously en- ' dangering the 600 mile German front, from the forests east of Smolensk to the Sea of Azov. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent declares that Smolensk and Bryansk, 7 the two’ biggest fortresses the Ger- _ mans still hold, are directly threatened tonight, as the Russians tear new gaps in the Germans’ harassed lines. The correspondent adds that the Russians are still pressing on towards Smolensk from Yelnia. The Smolensk bastion is threatened as never before. The forced withdrawal of the Germans Troth the Voroshilovgrad area is typical of the retirements they have been compelled to make in order to avoid being outflanked by fierce Russian thrusts. German High Command communiques for some time have dwelt bn the strength of Russian attacks southwest of Voroshilovgrad. Now that the ■ Russians, with the capture of Gluhkov and Rylsk, have broken into the Northern Ukraine, the enemy apparently realises that the whole Ukraine may become untenable. The Stockholm newspaper, “Allehanda” reveals that Gauleiter Koch, Reich Commissioner in the Ukraine, telegraphed to Berlin to cease sending bombed-out refugees to the Ukraine. Tonight’s Soviet communique announces that the Russians have concluded the liquidation of the enemy troops encircled at Taganrog and says the troops of the 17th,. 111th and 294th divisions and of the 15th Paratroop Division have been routed, over 35,000 Germans being killed. The Russians on the southern front have advanced from four to six miles and have occupied over 30 inhabited places, including the mining centre of Krasnyluch. 52 miles east of Stalino. On the Smolensk front the Russians have advanced five.to eight miles and have occupied 200 inhabited localities, including Dogorobuj. The Red Army south of Bryansk has advanced four to -.six miles and occupied over 60 inhabited localities, including the railway town of Komarichi, 60 miles south-east of Bryansk. The Red Army .west, and south-west of Kharkov has advanced in some sectors, occupying several inhabited localities. **■‘’“‘■Reuter's Moscow correspondent says the Russians, pushing forward on the Smolensk and Sevsk fronts, are en- , countering strong resistance. Fierce ” battles are being waged in the wake of ’’ the retreating Germans, which is " strewn with hundreds of corpses, “ smashed tanks and wrecked guns. Rus- • sihn dive-bombers are operating in exC ceptional strength everywhere.