FALLING TO PIECES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 November 1943, Page 4

FALLING TO PIECES

GERMAN FRONT IN WHITE RUSSIA EXTENSION OF GREAT SOVIET OFFENSIVE. NAZI CLAIMS REGARDING KOROSTEN. (By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright) (Received This Day. 12.5 p.m.) LONDON, November 28. While the Red Army is still swarming forward practically unchecked in the new great White Russian front offnesive, the enemy is making emphatic claims to have recaptured Korosten. The Berlin radio claimed that Korosten was firmly in German hands, and Russian attempts to retake it had resulted in only slight penetrations, which had been wiped out. The Russians, announced the capture of Korosten on November 17. but the Germans never admitted its loss. The Paris radio's commentator, Jean Paquis, says the situation at Korosten is very muddled, and that it appears as if the Germans so far have occupied only part of the town. The German News agency, however, says that after several days of street fighting, “our grenadiers cleared Korosten of the enemy.” The “Izvestia’s” war correspondent indicated the strength of Marshal Von Mannstein’s counter-attacks in the Chernyakhov, Brusilov and Korosten areas by saying: “The Germans night and day are throwing in powerful Tiger tank formations. The enemy in a single sector in the past 24 hours, despite the mud, has flung in 400 panzers.” Taking advantage of the fall of Gomel, General Rokossovsky's armies are swinging round the north fringe of the Pripet Marshes and are now threatening Jlobin, Rogachev ,Mosir and Kalinovichi, which are the Germans’ four main bastions on the White Russian front. The British United Press says the enemy is on the run along the whole of this vital front. Red Army units are already fighting on the approaches to Jlobin and Rogachev. Other advanced forces, thrusting up the Beresina River valley, are now within striking distance of the important railway town of Bobruisk. The entire German lower White Russian front appears to be disintegrating.

VIRTUALLY ISOLATED

SOME REMAINING ENEMY STRONGHOLDS. RUSSIANS PREPARING FOR WINTER WAR. (Received This Day, 12.40 p.m.) LONDON, November 28. General Rokossovsky’s men, through cutting the Mcsir-Jlobin Railway at Yelsk, have virtually isolated the enemy garrisons at Mcsir and Kalinovichi, because General Vatutin’s rorces are astride the southern continuation of the line, in the Ovruch and Korosten areas. The "Red Star” declares that a mass expulsion of the Germans from White Russia is in progress. Reuter's correspondent on the First Ukrainian front says that after a tour of the Dnieper battlefields, including the crossings of the Dnieper and Desna rivers, he testifies that the Red Army on this front is in a most powerful position, with excellent and growing supplies of all arms. He adds that white camouflaged tanks are now rumbling forward over the snow on General Vatutin’s first Ukrainian front, ready for the clashes of real winter war in the steppes. Tonight’s Soviet communique states that the Red Army between "the Dneipgr and the Soj continued to develop its offensive and captured Buda-Koshe-veskays, on the Gomel-Bobruisk Railwya, 28 miles north-west of Gomel, and also 150 inhabited places. The Russians on the lower reaches of the Beresina captured 24 places, and - on the lower reaches of the Pripet River captured seven places. The Red Army in the Korosten, Chrenyakhov and Brusilov areas repelled tank and infantry countera-ttacks, and south-west of Kremenchug, overcoming counter-at-tacks, captured several strong points. The Russians in the Dnieper Bend overcame enemy resistance and occupied 15 places.

RUSSIANS AT KIEV

RAPIDLY STRENGTHENING , COMMUNICATIONS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.50 a.m.) RUGBY, November 28. The feeling in Kiev is that the Russians will frustrate German attempts at a ccmeback in this area, says a correspondent. The Russians are daily strengthening their communications with Kiev. Crossings have been swiftly constructed on the remnants of the giant bridges. Soviet mobile guns and heavy tanks are being carried over on ferries, towed by powerful motor-boats, the Luftwaffe creating slight interference.