MINSK MENACED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 October 1943, Page 3

MINSK MENACED

SOVIET TROOPS THRUSTING INTO WHITE RUSSIA LARGE AREAS LIBERATED GERMANS HOLDING FIRM ON DNIEPER LONDON, October 1. The Russians report further advances into White Russia in their drives against the four bastions protecting Minsk, the capital. Soviet forces have occupied 300 places on the way to Mogilev and at the southern end of the White Russian front they have advanced six to nine miles and liberated 100 places. In the northern area they captured more than 30 places. The Germans are holding firm on the Dnieper for the time being at least. n '-'wmiis POWERFUL FORCES MASSING FOR CONCERTED BLOW TO SMASH GERMAN CENTRAL FRONT LONDON, September 30. Powerful Russian forces west and north-west of Smolensk are massing over a front of 200 miles for a concerted blow to smash the whole German central front from its hinges and open the gateway to Poland and the Baltic States. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says that the momentum of the Russian advance has brought Gomel and Vitebsk, which are anchors of the whole White Russian line, into imminent danger. The fall of Gomel, which is apparently inevitable, would cut away the hinge of the central and southern fronts, and send them rolling back on either side of the dreaded Pripet marshes. The Germans’ elaborate defences round Gomel are crumbling before the Red Army, which has crossed the Soj River north and south of the town. Elsewhere on the White Russian front the Russians are advancing toward Mogilev, and are less than 40 miles south-west of Vitebsk. The Russians are closing in round Orsha at the rate of 10 miles a day. Krichev, which the Russians captured today, is the junction of ’two railways—the UnechaOrsha line and the Mogilev-Roslavl line —and is on the west bank of the Soj River 60 miles south-east of Mogilev. The British United Press correspondent in Stockholm says reports from Berlin in the past few days have emphasised that the Germans are stiffening their resistance and there is a growing belief in Berlin that the retreat is ending. NO SLACKENING IN SOVIET OPERATIONS IN WHITE RUSSIA. TROOPS CLOSING ON KEYPOINTS. (Received This Day, 12.20 p.m.) LONDON, October 1. The Germans are rushing up reinforcements to the main White Russian front strongpoints of Orsha, Mogilev and Gomel, which the Russians are dangerously threatening. Nevertheless, reports from Moscow indicate that there is no slackening of the Russians’ systematic advances, and that they are closing in around the outer defences of Orsha. A British United Press correspondent says Orsha is the Germans’ main central front airbase, as well as a most important rail and road junction, and a keypoint in the great 200-mile defence line from Vitebsk to Gomel, barring the way to Minsk, which is the capital of White Russia. Russian spearheads are only 100 miles from Minsk itself. After capturing Kirchev, the Russians are 50 miles from Mogilev, and the Red Army forces around Gomel are only a few miles from the city. The correspondent says the familiar tactics of a threepronged advance from north, east and south are likely soon to result in the fall of Gomel. A majority of the supply lines from Gomel are already believed to be cut. Tonight’s Soviet communique deals only with the White Russian front, where advances up to 12 miles in the Mogilev sector and 9 miles in the Gomel sector are recorded. The Russians, after forcing the Soj River, cap-: tured Cherikov, 50 miles south-east of Mogilev, and 340 other inhabited places. Some 200 localities- were freed in the Gomel sector. In the Vitebsk sector the town of Tierezino and 20 other places have been taken.