MAIN RAILWAY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 December 1943, Page 3

MAIN RAILWAY

SERVING GERMANS INSIDE DNIEPER BEND CUT BY THE RUSSIANS. ISOLATION OF BLACK SEA PORT. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright' LONDON. December 8. The main railway .supply route for the German armies in the Dnieper bend was cut today by the Red Army by a drive below Snamenka, following upon the recent break-through of the German defence line on this sector. Tonight’s Soviet communique states that the Russians south-west and west of Kremenchug overcame counter-at-tacks and captured two district centres, and also five other- localties, including the railway station of Sharovka, thus cutting the Snamenka-Nikolaev and Snamenka-Krivoi Rog railways. Southwest of Dnepropetrovsk the Red Army fought local battles and captured several enemy strongpoints. A correspondent links the latest drive with the Russian success in isolating the Black Sga port of Nikolaev, the only other route through which the German armies in the Dnieper bend can be supplied. Nikolaev lies on an estuary which has an entrance two miles wide. The Russians recently captured the southern side of the gateway and moved up heavy guns The Germans

made a desperate bid to recapture this position. They sent in a landing party of more than 1200 men, but the Rusr sians wiped out the invaders and destroyed their reinforcements.