TO DRIVE INTO HEART OF DNIEPER BEND

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 December 1943, Page 3

TO DRIVE INTO HEART OF DNIEPER BEND

With Red Amy Capture of Junction of Snamenka

GERMANS LOSING SEVENTY TANKS A DAY

IN CONTINUED COUNTER-OFFENSIVE •' WEST OF KIEV

LONDON, December 10. By the capture of the railway junction of Snamenka, which is announced today, the Russians have strengthened their hold on the railway to Krivoi Rog', in the heart of the Dnieper bend. Snamenka fell yesterday after three days of heavy fighting. News of this latest big Red Army success was given in an order of the day by Marshal Stalin early this evening, its capture was honoured by a salvo from 124 of Moscow s. guns. Snamenka is one of the most important railway centres in the Dnieper bend because it link's the railway systems of the eastern and western parts of the bend. The German armies in the eastern part of the bend got most of their supplies through Snamenka until the Russians cut'the line-three days ago. Since that time Red Army troops have been converging steadily on the town and its fall has been expected. Its chief value to the Russians, as staged, is that it greatly strengthens their hold on the railway to Krivoi Rog, m the heart of the bend. The Russians now control the first 20 miles of this line and are favourably placed for a further drive. Already two soviet spearheads have moved down the line towards an impoitant enemy communication centre in the bend and were last reported within 20 miles of it. , The capture of Snamenka also opens the way for a direct thrusl towards the big road centre of Kirovograd. Red Army men are reported to be within 15 miles of that place. Its capture would be a crippling blow, as it is the chief road centre in the bend, particularly now that most of the enemy s cniei railways have been cut. The Germans are still hammering’ at uhe Russian bevond Kiev, in spite of immense losses in tanks and men Mr Paul Winterton, the London “News-iChromcle s Moscow representative, says the Russians are destroying about 70 tanks in this fighting every day and he does not see how the Germans can continue the assault on the present scale much lon°er. He adds, however, that it is dangerous to be too precise, because there is practically no news about the battle except brief references in Moscow communiques.