SWEEPING ADVANCE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 September 1943, Page 3

SWEEPING ADVANCE

CONTINUED BY RUSSIAN ARMIES IMPORTANT CENTRES TAKEN FROM ENEMY. ENORMOUS GERMAN LOSSES ' DURING TWO MONTHS. LONDON, September 7. A Soviet communique reports further big gains by the lied Army in the Donetz Basin, where Russian troops advanced up to 12 miles during the day and occupied nearly 100 localities, including several important railway and industrial centres. Soviet forces, west of Kharkov, have recaptured a town after it had changed hands several times in severe fighting. In the Northern Ukraine, the Russians arc threatening a vital railway junction in the enemy’s main lateral line of communications between the central and southern fronts. The Russians liberated 100 places in this area during the day. On the Bryansk front the Russians have also gained ground and driven the enemy out of about 50 places, including a railway junction less than 30 miles south of Bryansk.

In the period from July 5 to September 5, the Russians killed 420,000 of the enemy and destroyed 5,700 aircraft and 8,400 tanks.

NO RELIEF FOR RETREATING GERMANS. LENGTH OF FRONT INCREASED. (Received This Day, 9.50 a.m.) LONDON, September 7. Little doubt is felt in London that one of the main German objectives in the east this summer, if not the chief objective, has been to shorten their front. Since operations began on July 5, however, it is estimated that the total length of the front in Russia has increased by 100 miles. Faster than the Germans withdrew or were ejected from salients, the Russians created new ones. The contrac-, tion on the Donetz front is countered by a rapid extension, on the central front, between Bryansk and the Dnieper. The Russians have also now recovered all the chief Donbas industrial towns except Stalino, which is outflanked and cannot resist long. Mariupol is subjected to a danger similar to that which overtook the garrison at Taganrog. To the north, the Russians’ latest drive has brought them close to the bridgehead they recently established at Izyum.