Evening star., 1941-09-09
Nazis Pursued
In 16.MiIe Push,
RussiansCIain
so Villages Retoken
On Central Front,
Soviet Asserts
By The Associated Press.

By The Associated Press.
MOSCOW, Sept. 9.-The Soviet
Armies of the central front to-
day were pursuing the broken
remnants of a German force OF
100000 men westward toward
Smolensk, having thrust the
Nazis back 16 miles in two days
and recaptured $50 square miles
of territory and so villages In a
gigantic continuing battle, off1-
cial dispatches reported.
A communique reported that
within 10 days the Rumanians be-
sieging Odessa have left more than
10000 dead in the approaches
to that Black Sea port as the Red
Navy leads a daily sortie against the
Germans allies.
1t was the big counterthrust on
the central front, however, that
shone as the rosiest star on the
Soviet horizon.
8 Divisions Cut Up.
A government communique said
eight Nal divisions were cut to
pieces in the fierce counteroffensive
which began 26 days ago and
reached its climax with recapture OF
the railway town of Yelnya. 200
miles southwest of Moscow and 40
miles east of Smolensk.
Front-line reports to Pravda, the
Official Communist party newspaper,
gave an even more striking account
of this greatest victory yet claimed
by the Russians in nearly II weeks
of war.
The Germans reached Yelnya III
July, it was admitted, and chose
1t as the base site from which TO
launch their great drive on Moscow.
But the Russians struck back with
fury, and soon smashed the German
10th Tank Division and 18th In
fantry Division, capturing many
heavy guns, prisoners and much am
munition. said the novelist Stavsky,
correspondent for Pravda.
Dug in On Heights.
The Germans promptly dug In on
the surrounding heights, building
massive Notifications of iron and
concrete, linked by deep trenches
and guarded by barbed wire
The Russians settled down to q
fiery artillery bombardment.
The German command hastened
to bring up fresh divisions he
wrote. "disregarding the fact that
the Yelnya district had become q
giant mincing machine for German
regiments.
Division after division passed
through the Yelnya district. Tons of
metal poured down on the Germans
and battered divisions were with
drawn to the rear, but the German
command continued to cling to the
district"
Retreat Has Become Rout.
Finally. the Pravda account con-
tinued. the Russian pressure became
so great that by September there
was no doubt of the outcome. This
German 18th, 18th, 137th, 17sth,
268th and 292d infantry divisions, a
motorized division and a division Of
the Elite Nazi S. S. troops had been
smashed, and their remnants main
tanned communications with the
rear through a narrow pathway 5
miles wide, constantly under Rus
sian fire.
This horrible route was carpeted
with German corpses, Pravda said,
and finally the Germans fell back
in a retreat that has become a rout.
Tens of thousands of unburied
dead lay where they had fallen, and
there were equal numbers OF
wounded who were carried westward
by their comrades, the dispatch said.
Russian booty, not yet fully count
ed, or even collected as the hot pur-
suit continued, was said TO include
102 big German cannon and all sorts
of ammunition and smaller arms
The artillery of the Red Army now
is pounding the Germans backs a
good Is miles or more west Of
Yelnya. Pravda concluded.
| May Relieve Lenfngrad.
Military observers expressed belief
the success might relieve pressure
on Leningrad, compelling the Nazis
to withdraw some troops from that
northern sector to save their sag
ging lines in the center.
The communique reporting the
Soviet victory on the central front
failed to give a clear picture Of the
situation around hard-pressed Lem
ingrad, but devoted considerable
space to reports Of guerrilla activ-
tiles far behind the German lines in
that area.
All reports from the front pictured
the Leningrad civilian population as
fighting side by side with Red SOL
diers and contesting every foot Of
ground with the Nazi invaders.
Counterattacks Repeated.
Details of operations on the south.
ern end of the front were scanty.
but repeated Russian counterattacks
were said to be relieving heavy Ger
man pressure on the Urainian cap-
ital of Kiev and the Black Sea port
Of Odessa.
Moscow. meanwhile, had its first
air raid alarm since August AZ as
German raiders struck at the city
during the night, but a communique
said only two planes succeeded in
breaking through the capitals de-
fenses.