“ONLY ONE WAY”

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 September 1943, Page 3

“ONLY ONE WAY”

MIGHTY SURGE OF RED ARMY IN DRIVE ON DNIEPER ADVANCE ON SEVEN FRONTS. 1,200 TOWNS AND VILLAGES LIBERATED. LONDON, September 20. The Red Army has surged forward from north of Smolensk to the Black Sea and, on the latest communiques, has freed nearly 1200 towns and villages, which surpasses even the large totals recorded on lhe previous few days. The advances made during yesterday varied from six to 18 miles on seven fronts. Writing last night, Reuter’s Moscow correspondent stated: —“The Red Army tonight is flooding through hundreds of townships and villages in a great war of movement. The army on many sectors of the front has robbed the Germans of the power to do anything except yield stubbornly and bitterly one line of the painstakinglybuilt fortifications after another.” The “Red Star,” commenting on the general German retreat, says:—“We have been waiting for this for a long time, and we have been long prepared for it. We have only one way—forward westwards!” A Soviet communique reports an advance of six to 15 miles towards the Lower Dnieper. Russian forces have occupied 60 more places and are within 20 miles of the railway from the Crimea. In their advance towards Dnepropetrovsk, they have moved forward four to eleven miles and are steadily closing in on this city, which is one of theii’ main objectives. The Dnieper River will not save the Germans, Moscow radio promised last night, adding: “The enemy will not be given any respite. The Germans think the Dnieper will act as a barrier to save their armies, but the victorious Red Army’s impetus is growing. We are sweeping forward and nearing Kiev.” Two Russian armies are racing for the honour of being the first to reach the Dnieper, says Reuter. General Menilovsky’s troops striking for the Dnieper bend are now only 24 miles from Zaporozhe, while General Rokossovsky’s army is within four .miles of. Chernigov, which is only 30 miles from the Dnieper, north of Kiev. FATE OF SMOLENSK MAY DEPEND ON BATTLE IN PROGRESS GERMANS USING RESERVES IN COUNTER-ATTACKS (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 9.40 a.m.) LONDON, September 20. A battle which may decide the fate of Smolensk is being fought out 30 miles from Smolensk, says Reuter’s Moscow correspondent. Heavy clashes are occurring on the Smolensk-Moscow Highway, where the Germans are throwing in infantry reserves behind a screen of tanks, in determined counter-at-tacks. The Berlin radio said violent defensive battles are in progress west of Yelnia and south of Byeloi, and the Russians are paying heavily in men and material, it adds, for every slight gain. The Russians, in the Velish area, in the last two days, attacked strongly at 20 points. The Moscow radio says the German Command ordered the defence of Dukhovshenina at all costs. The town was defended by three lines of fortifications, anti-tank trenches and barbed wire. The Germans, using Tiger tanks and Ferdinands, launched as many as 25 counter-attacks in a single sector.