THANKED BY STALIN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 31 December 1943, Page 4

THANKED BY STALIN

VATUTIN AND HIS TROOPS FOR ROUT OF GERMAN SOUTHERN ARMIES SOME DETAILS OF VICTORIOUS ADVANCE (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 11.10 a.m.) LONDON, December 30. After six days of stubborn fighting troops of the First Ukrainian Front have advanced 30 to 60 miles and widened the breach over a front of 180 miles, says Marshal Stalin in an order of the day to General Vatutin. lie adds that the offensive in the Jitomir direction has broken the German lines. The Russians have routed eight tank divisions, including the S.S., Adolf Hitler and Reich divisions, with fourteen infantry divisions, and have captured the strongly-fortified towns of Koroven, Chernyakhov, Korostyshev, Noir arskvolynsky, Chervonnorarmeisk, Radoymsl, Skvira, the powerfully-defend-ed town of Kazatin and over one thousand inhabited localities.

Adding that:' “Tonight Moscow will salute with, twenty salvos from 124 guns the valiant troops who participated in this victorious advance,” Marshal Stalin said: “I express my thanks to all the troops under your command who participated in the battles. Eternal glory to the heroes who fell in the struggle for the liberation and independence of Russia! Death to the German invaders!” Stalin’s order confirms reports from Moscow that the Germans in the Kiev bulge are showing signs of collapse and are being pursued over an everwidening front. The size of the Russian force participating in the Jitomir offensive can be gauged from the fact that twenty generals are named in the order of the day for the part their troops played.

NO SLACKENING IN SOVIET DRIVE WEST OF KIEV. GERMANS IN DNIEPER BEND IN DANGER. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 12.20 p.m.) LONDON, December 30. The capture of Kazatin, the big German base in the south-western sector of the Kiev bulge, means that one of the two railways linking the Dnieper bend with the main north-south railway has been cut. The drive to Kazatin and Berdichev and the new Russian offensive west of Zaporozhe will greatly increase the danger to the Germans inside the Dnieper bend, Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says.

As a result of the break through west of Zaporozhe the German line is cracking at all its main points along the Dnieper. These operations, combined with the success of General Vatutin's forces in the Kiev salient, foreshadowed the collapse of the whole of the German positions between the Dnieper and Bug rivers. General Vatutin’s forces are steadily forcing the Germans back in a south-west advance representing the half of a giant pincer movement. The other half is General Malinovsky’s offensive west of Zaporozhe. The next important point of General Vatutin’s advance is Jitomir, which is now enclosed in a pocket over five miles deep. The fall of Kazatin clears the way for the investment of Berdichev. It also represents an advance along the railway line, which, 60 miles farther south, joins the main line to Odessa. The tempo of General Vatutin’s advance has not slackened, despite bad weather and the enormous difficulties of the terrain.

TOUGH RUSSIANS

FROZEN UNIFORMS THAWED AT BONFIRES MANY GERMAN PRISONERS TRUDGING EAST (Received This Day, 1.10 a.m.) LONDON, December 30. Russian infantrymen are performing prodigies, advancing in full winter equipment, their felt bcots soaked and their cotton-pad- . ded tunics drenched. The night ' frost freezes their uniforms into sheets of ice, but bonfires thaw these cut before the infantrymen push on. Front line reports describe the growing number of prisoners daily' trudging eastwards. Many have died, suffering a double shock from the Russian offensive and the terrific artillery barrages. The Berlin radio’s commentator, Captain Sertorius, said: “The large-scale Russian attack in the Korosten, Jitomir, Berdichev and Byelatalserkov sectors continues. These fronts are continuously expanding and the Russian strength is far superior to the German. The High Command ordered the evacuation of Korosten, in order to husband its forces. Ferocious Russian attacks in the Vitebsk sector continue. The Russians have driven some wedges into the German lines. At least half of the' divisions forming General Vatutin’s command are completely fresh. A possible break through to the Balkans is even more appealing to the Russian command than a break through to- the Baltic.” Tonight’s Soviet communique says the Russians in the direction of Vitebsk, today beat off counter-attacks, waged offensive battles and occupied several localities. Troops of the First Ukrainian Front successfully continued to develop their offensive,and occupied Kazatin and 300 inhabited localities. The Russians, west of Zaporozhe, have occupied over 30 inhabited places, including several large localities.