VITAL JUNCTION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 September 1943, Page 3

VITAL JUNCTION

STORMED BV THE RUSSIANS ENEMY COMMUNICATIONS CUT. BETWEEN- CENTRAL & SOUTHERN ARMIES. LONDON, September 9. . Moscow reports the capture of a vital railway junction, connecting the central and southern German fronts. It was taken, by storm in face of fierce resistance. Its Joss lias finally cut all communication between the central and southern German armies. Further advances are reported on other' fronts. West of Stalino, the Russians have made a further advance of from six to nine miles and liberated 180 inhabited places. South of Bryansk the Russians have pushed forward four to eight miles and taken 40 more places. AT GROWING PACE SOVIET DRIVE TOWARDS DNIEPER. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day. 9.52 a.m.) - RUGBY, September 1 9. The Russians, who yesterday made their longest advance 'so far in the Donetz Basin, are approaching the ' Lower Dnieper from the cast, and speculation in London turns on whether the Germans will now withdraw their armies from beyond that river and from the Kuban area and the Crimea. Over the lower Dnieper, from which the advancing Russians west of Krasnoarmeiskoe are 90 miles distant, there are only two bridges, at Dnepropetrovsk and Zaporozne. These, together with a ferry leading to the railhead at Kherson, near the river mouth, are the only convenient means for the transportation of all the troops and materials established during the last two years along the Black Sea coastal regions. Meanwhile, the Rusian advance towards the Middle Dnieper, where they are within 100 miles of Kiev, shows no signs of stopping, and continues to exert pressure on the whole German front in the south. STALIN’S ORDER IMPORTANCE OF BAKHMACH EMPHASISED. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.35 a.m.) , RUGBY, September 9. The capture of Bakhmach, the key railway junction controlling the main railway communications between the central and southern German armies in Russia, was announced tonight, in a special order of ' the day, issued by Marshal Stalin. The order stated: “Today, after fierce two days of fighting, the Soviet troops took by storm the town of Bakhmach, the most important ' railway centre of the enemy communications and the base of enemy resistance in the direction of Kiev..” Marshal Stalin added that two units which had distinguished themselves henceforth would be known as the Konotop and Bakhmach Divisions. He ■thanked the troops and ordered a salute of 124 guns, which were heard in London over the Moscow radio.