BEING FOUGHT ON DNIEPER LINE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 October 1943, Page 3

BEING FOUGHT ON DNIEPER LINE

Russians Driving Relentlessly On Krivoi Rog THREATENING. WHOLE OF ENEMY MAIN COMMUNICATIONS PROGRESS IN MELITOPOL & GOMEL AREAS LONDON, October 22. The latest news from the Eastern front shows that the Russians are continuing their drive towards Krivoi Rog, which, apart from its importance as a centre of the iron industry, is a railway junction through which pass all the enemy’s main communications serving his forces in the Dnieper bend. Tonight’s Moscow communique states that Soviet troops advanced from four to six miles today and captured four railway towns and over 50 other places. It is not known how close this brings them to Krivoi Rog, but earlier reports put the Red Army within 20 miles of that objective, which the Germans must hold if their armies in the bend are to have a chance of getting away. The communique also records fresh gains further south, in and around Melitopol, the last German strongpoint protecting the Crimea. Soviet troops continue to fight the enemy in the northern part of the town, where the Germans are still holding out. The enemy forces have again lost heavily in men and material. On the central and upper Dnieper the Russians have extended their bridgeheads on the western bank of the river. In White Russia, Soviet forces have occupied several more strongpoints and are increasing their threat to Gomel, the most southerly German bastion in White Russia.