ENEMY FRONT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 October 1943, Page 3

ENEMY FRONT

BROKEN ON DECISIVE SECTOR STALIN’S ORDER OF THE DAY. BESTOWAL OF HONOURS. By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright) LONDON, October 23. Marshal Stalin, in an order of the day, announced that the town and railway station of Melitopol had been completely liberated by the Soviet troops. He stated: “The troops of the fourth Ukrainian front, after many days of stubborn fighting, broke the enemy s fierce resistance, and, inflicting heavy losses, today completed the occupation of Melitopol, the most important stronghold*of the enemy’s defence m the southern direction and the gate_ to the Crimea and the lower part o± the Dnieper. Thus the most powerful enemy defence zone on the River Molotonsaya, which was even stronger than that on the River Dnieper in fortifications as well as in the number of infantry, artillery and advance troops, has been broken on a decisive sector.” The order says that the formations and units which distinguished themselves will in future be called “Melitopol” formations, and Red Army men and commanders who particularly distinguished themselves in breaking through the enemy’s defence will be decorated Hero of the Soviet Union, the highest Soviet distinction. A Russian communique states: “The Germans gave particulardly high importance to this- defence zone. This is testified by the fact that the German officers’ pay on this sector was three times greater than that of German officers on other sectors of the eastern front, and that the German soldiers fighting in this sector were decorated with the Iron Cross.” The victor of Melitopol is General Tolbukhin, who took an important part in the Soviet offensive in the Stalingrad area. He was commander of the Soviet southern front troops last August and was promoted army general last month. A Moscow message states that ‘the Germans were prepared to suffer any losses in the attempt to hold Melitopol, which was the pivot of their line. Additional forces were concentrated along the Molochnaya River. The Germans had transferred from the Crimea and from other sectors several infantry divisions, and also a great number of tanks, self-propelled guns and field artillery. The enemy in the fighting for Melitopol suffered exceptionally heavy losses; more than 4000 men were killed yesterday in the northern part of the city.