GREATEST TO DATE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 September 1943, Page 4

GREATEST TO DATE

LIST OF RED ARMY SUCCESSES ON FOUR OFFENSIVE FRONTS. DRIVE TOWARDS SMOLENSK. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, Noon.) LQtffoON, September 2. The Russian High Command has revealed the real strength of its four main offensives by issuing the greatest, list of successes ever announced from Moscow. The vital points of Sumy, Lisichansk, Voroshilovsk and Krolevets have fallen and the Red Army in the north has pushed its most important offensive against Smolensk forward another four to six miles. Outstanding points in the latest Russian successes are, firstly, the enemy has been cleared from the whole Kursk region; secondly, the Lower Donetz has been crossed from the north on a broad front and the Russian lines advanced 20 miles towards Stalino; thirdly, the capture of Krolevets has brought the Russians to their, most westerly .point. . ■ f.-u

SUMY & BEYOND STRONG ENEMY FORCES. IN DANGER OF BEING CUT OFF. (Received This Day, 12.45 p.rn.) LONDON, September 2. The capture of Krolevets, 25 miles north of Konotop,. cuts the BryanskKonotop railway. Krolevets is situated 28 miles west of Glukhov, representing a Russian advance of 28 miles in two days. Tonight’s Soviet communique, , reporting the capture of Sumy, says the Red Army, advancing south of Bryansk, occupied over 130 inhabited places, including Krolevets, which is a district centre in the Sumy region.-- The enemy has been cleared from the whole Kursk region. The Red Army in the Donetz Basin has occupied Lisichansk, Voroshilovsk and other district centres. The Russians, advancing along the shores of the Sea of Azov, captured Budennovka, only 25 miles from Mariupol. The Red Army on the Smolensk front advanced 4 to 6 miles and occupied over 100 inhabited places. The Russians, west and south-wefjt of Kharkov, have advanced and capttired several occupied localities. General Vatutin started his drive on Sumy from Orel, and took the town by storm. Reuter’s military writer says an interesting situation is developing on me Sumy front,’which may involve the encirclement strong enemy forces unless they retire in good time. The Germans a'/e making a desperate effort to avoid 'tne pincers, showing a tendency to fall back as soon as they are threatened by outflanking movements. The capture of Lisichansk is the principal Russian Donetz Basin victory. Lisichansk is the most important communications centre of the Donetz River and the Kharkov-Stalino railway. The Russians during last winter’s offensive captured Lisichansk, but lost it again in a German counter-thrust.

' .THREAT TO STALINO SOVIET FORCES MASSING. GERMANS REPORT ATTACKS IN KUBAN. (Received This Day, 1.15 p.m.) . LONDON,* September 2. , Reuter's Moscow correspondent tonight reports stiff fighting south-east of Stalino, where the Russians have ■massed new forces at their spearhead. ,The'. Germans, along their own ragged jine_west and south of Stalino are tryingTto .remove heavy’ equipment. Times” Stockholm correspond•ent«ysays front line reporters and otser semi-independent German sourcespin their reports, imply that the German armies in Russia are having an' exceedingly hard time. One correspondent goes so far as to say that the German retreat from the Mius line will result in the gravest crisis of the whole summer campaign. Another neutral correspondent remarks from Berlin that although the Germans’in the last few days have been talking about passing “crises,” there is ho evidence that the crises are becoming fewer. The German newspapers recently have described whole units of seventeen and eighteen year-old youths getting their baptism of fire on the Mius front, which is the sector where the Russians broke through. Reuter's Moscovz.correspondent says ihe Russians ambushed German reinforcements in the forests south-west of Kharkov, mowed them down with ma-chine-guns and inflicted heavy losses. The survivors, thrown into confusion, ran into minefields. Another big group of Germans south of Bryansk abandoned their arms and fled when the# found their supply transport captured and telephone lines cut. The Berlin radio reports that the Russians in the Kuban area attacked several times with heavy guns and flame-throwers.