FURTHER STRAINED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 September 1943, Page 4

FURTHER STRAINED

GERMAN ELASTIC DEFENCE IN RUSSIA BRYANSK VICTORY FOLLOWED UP SWIFTLY BY RED ARMY. THREE MAJOR BATTLES BEING F'OUGHT (By Telegraph-—Press Association— Copyright) .(Received This Day, 11.35 a.m.) LONDON, September 14. The Red Army, following up its Bryansk victory, is now widening its bridgeheads on the western bank of the Desna River, upon which the Germans hoped to build a defence line from Smolensk to Kiev. South of Bryansk, converging Russian columns are making forced marches, v fighting incessantly, towards Roslavl. The capture of Roslavl would cut one of the escape railways to Smolensk. Correspondents say three major battles are being fought between Bryansk and Dnepropetrovsk. The first is for Nyejin, the second for Priluki and the third foi' the reduction of the German salient south-west of Kharkov, covering Poltava. The capture of Nyejin and Priluki would give the Russians the keys to the Kiev outposts. Nyejin is being invested from the north and east and is already under shellfire. • Stiff German resistance around Romny is holding up the drive against Priluki. The Russians are investing Romny from three sides and closing in from the east and along the railway from the north and south. The Germans’ defence south-west of Kharkov, after weeks of steady hammering, is beginning to crumble. The toughness of the fighting can be gauged from the fact that battles continue still only 25 miles west of Kharkov. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says the Russian success in forcing the Desna River dealt 2 heavy blow against the entire German defence system. It now appears that the German “elastic defence” will have to be more elastic than ever. The “elastic defence” has proved completely unsuccessful in the south, where the Germans are falling back upon the Dnieper bend. The Germans retreating to the Dnieper bend are trying hard to break contact, but the Russian pursuit continues relentlessly. A German High Command communique reports heavy street fighting in Novorossisk. f The Berlin radio said the Russians advanced cautiously against Bryansk, which was covered only by rearguards, all goods and machinery having been evacuated a fortnight ago. “Installations were so thoroughly destroyed.” it is added, “that the Russians put their hand into an empty pocket. This shows that the Germans are pursuing the aim of drawing the Russians after them in a large disengagement movement. They are doing so faster than the Russians may like.” The London “Times” comments: “The last word on the German retreat may not rest with the Germans.” 1 German sources, shortly after the announcement of the evacuation of Bryansk, said the Russians had opened a new attack north of the city, with strong artillery and tank forces, and claimed that the attacks failed before “an extremely stiff resistance." CONTINUED GAINS MADE BY THE RUSSIANS. GERMANS RETREATING RAPIDLY. (Received This Day, 12.10 p.m.) LONDON, September 14. The “Red Star” states that the Germans are rapidly retreating towards the Dnieper bend, across the Dnepropetrovsk steppe. The Russians have reached Sanzharovsky, less than 60 miles from Zaporozhe. The Russians are attacking along the Roslavl-Moscow and Smolensk-Moscow highways. The Germans admit a retreat in the Smolensk area and add that local breaches elsewhere had been “evened out” by straightening the German line. Tonight’s Russian ‘communique says the Russians west of Stalino have advanced 12 to 15 miles and captured over 150 inhabited localities. The Russians have advanced up to 9 miles along the Sea of Azov and captured 20 places, including district centres. In the Stalino region the Russians in the Pvlograd direction have advanced 3 to 6 miles and have captured over 70 inhabited localities, including a district centre in the Kharkov region and two important railway stations. The Russians in the Priluki direction have advanced up to 9 miles and captured 17 inhabited places. They have also continued their offensive in the Nyejin direction, advanced 3 to 5 miles and captured over 20 localities, including a district centre in the Chernigov region. South-west of Kharkov the Russians fought offensive battles, advanced in some sectors 1-4 to 5 miles and captured several inhabited localities. The Rus--sians in the Roslavl and Bryansk directions have fought offensive battles and captured several inhabited localities.