ROUT OF GERMANS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 November 1943, Page 4

ROUT OF GERMANS

EXTENDING IN RUSSIA CRUSHING DEFEAT OF PANZER ARMY. FIFTH IN TWELVE MONTHS. (British OHicial Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.35 a.m.) RUGBY, November 9. The exploitation of the capture of Kiev proceeds apace. The Russians apparently are in a position to use tanks in blitz fashion, in the same way as cavalry are used to pursue a beaten enemy. Well ovei 100 miles of the most vital part of the whole front is in a state of flux. The Russians have pushed westward between the River Pripet and KievVinnitsa Railway (in some places as much as 30 miles) and south-westward 50 miles along that railway. On their left flank they are not far from their long-established bridgehead south _of Pereyaslavl. Continued local fighting also seems to have resulted in a considerable advance from Nevel southwestwards towards Polotsk which is another keyooint on the German front. In the battle of Kiev the Fourth Panzer Army met its fifth defeat in twelve months. Most of the divisions announced by the Russians as routed belonged to that army. Under the command of von Hoth the Fourth Panzer Army made an ineffectual counter-offensive from Kotelnikovo to relieve Stalingiad. This summer it formed the southern prong of the abortive German offensive against Kursk. A division then unsuccessfully tried to save Kharkov. Having failed to do so, it held off the Russians from Poltava for a short time, before being driven from there to the Dnieper. The army has now suffered a defeat which it seems doubtful it will survive. DARK OUTLOOK FOR DEFEATED GERMANS. • CONTINUING RED ARMY OFFENSIVE. (Received This Day, 1.0 p.m.) LONDON, November 9. Summing up the situation on the Eastern front Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says the Red Army forces which is pressing the Germans back along the last lap of the road from Russia, are not only highly experienced, but are well rested, whereas the Germans, with weakened communications are ■ hard pressed for reserves. All signs point to continuous offensive action by the Red Army. The Russians are using the late autumn for cleaning up Southern Russia, but winter operations proper will be possible within a few weeks. The opinion in Moscow is that the Germans have absolutely no chance of staging a come-back during the winter. Their one choice remains between a continued retreat or an attempt at a stand. ______