GREAT EFFORT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 December 1943, Page 4

GREAT EFFORT

MADE BY THE GERMANS [ —— AGAINST THE KIEV SALIENT CONTINUED SOVIET THRUSTS IN SOUTH (By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright) (Received This Day, 12.30 p.m.) LONDON, December 9. German panzers west of Kiev are giving the Red Army one of its hardest fights since the beginning of the Russian campaign, says the Associated Moscow correspondent. The Germans, through two trunk railways from their deep rear, are feeding hundreds of tanks into the battle area, seeking a weak point to break through, but tonight the Red Army lines still held. Reuter states that the German attacks on the Kiev salient are mounting •in intensity and have gained more ground. The position there is described as tense but in no way desperate. The Germans in the Chernyakhov sector at dawn today launched new attacks, using 600 tanks in that sector alone. Although the Germans are slamming in attacks along 50 miles against the Kiev salient the fighting is occurring mostly along the main road to Kiev, north-east of Chernyakhov, because elsewhere the difficulties of moving heavy armour are still considerable. It is recalled that it was the mud which was largely responsible for the Russians losing Jitomir. The ground the Germans have regained during the four weeks’ counterblow against the Kiev bulge cannot be regarded as considerable, but has it restricted the area for manoeuvre available to the Red Army. The Russian High Command is confidently anticipating a continuance of the enemy’s challenge, although it does not underestimate the Wehrmacht’s strength. Moscow correspondents say Snamenka may fall within the next 24 hours. One report states that the Russians are shelling the town from a range of less than three miles. The British United Press points out that Snamenka's value to the enemy as a hub in the Dnieper bend railway system, has already gone, because the Red Army has cut three railways radiating from it and a fourth line, to Kirovgrad, has been under the fire of Russian heavy guns for several days. With Snamenka negatived, the Red Army’s next objective is Kirovgrad, against which another pincer is being formed, having the spearhead of its northern' arm 16 miles north-east of Kirovgrad and a southern spearhead 20 miles from the city. The threat to Snamenka and Kirovgrad makes the position of the Germans in the Krivoi Rog-Nikopol bag even more precarious. Enemy sources tonight gave versions of the position on the two main fronts. The German News Agency’s commentator, Von Hammer, said German operations west of Kiev had led to considerable gains of ground. The Berlin radio stated that south-west of Dnepropetrovsk, where the Red Army went over to the attack, the Germans shortened a portion of their line which previously was full of dents and zigzags. Von Hanimer also admitted that the Russians, attacking on a broad front in the Pripet-Beresina area, had succeeded in making three breaches in the German lines, two of which he claimed had been sealed off-.

Tonight’s Soviet communique states: “The Red Army, west and south-west of Kremenchug, is beating off counterattacks and has occupied 15 strongly fortified defence points, including Petrovo, 28 miles north of Krivoi Rog and the railway station at Dederovo, on the Snarnenka-Nikolayey railway; 17 miles east of Kirovgrad. The Russians northeast of Chernyakhov repelled large tank and infantry attacks.”