The Wilmington morning star., 1943-12-23
VITEBSK POUNDED
Reds Force Way Across
Important River Bar
rier North OF City
FIFTEEN MILES AWAY
Big Guns Wheeled Within
Range Of Heavily Forti-
fled Base

LONDON, Tuesday, Dec. 23.--
1.-THE Russian Baltic army, fore
ing its way across an important
water barrier north of the NaZi
base of Vitebsk, has wheeled its
big guns within range of that city,
killed several thousand Germans
end captured 20 more populated
places, despite newly reinforced
German resistance that in one Sec
ter alone launched 16 counter-at-
tecks, Moscow said today.
Moscow dispatches said General
Ivan Bagramian's army was only
IS miles north of Vitebsk in its
10-day-old winter offensive and told
Of crossing the water barrier-per-
haps the branch of the Obol river
which runs just north of the town
of Gorodok.
Strongpoint Captured
Here, the dispatches said, sew
eral key strongpoints in the Ger
man defense system were captured
and one large German formation
was surrounded, losing 1000 men
in a vain effort to break the trap.
The Moscow midnight commune
cue, recorded by the Soviet moni-
tor from broadcast, said a total
OF 1000 more Germans were killed
in the fighting as Nazi defense
troops, fighting bitterly to h o
t-'eir positions, sent 16 counter-at-
tacks one after the other against
Russian forces.
'All these counter-attacks were
repealed with heavy losses to the
enemy" the communique d.
Advancing on the heels of the
1etreating enemy our troops cap
tired several populated places
Advance Slowed
The Russian advance in tn S
area was markedly slower as the
Germans were reported moving in
fresh tank units and large forces
of planes. Previous Russian an
1ouncelnents SAID the advance had
taken almost 100 populated places
daily since the offensive began
with major break through on
Dec. IS.
In three other sectors of the 300
p,ile front the Germans were coun-
r-attacking with strong forces.
Twenty five thousand German
troops and more than 100 tanks
struck out on a narrow sector in
the Znlobin area of southern White
Russia but wilted against the de-
termined fire of Russian artillery.
Nazis Routed
To the south, L, the kjev bulge,
where the Germans ave been
,unter-attacking Tor ln.ny weeks,
large force at nrst succeeded in
81 eaking into a Sovie->. cid popu-
lsted force after three nuurs fight
irg The Russians repl.ed with a
&C unter-attack and rou Ell the Ma
rs, destroying 43 Ge.,r; n tanks
p1d leaving hundreds of dead on
TIE battlefield.
On another sector of this front
the Russians said they succeeded
iii taking very important posi-.
tons" killing 900 Germans in the
process.
The third German attack was
southwark in the Dnieper bend
where in the Kirovograd area they
succeeded at first in driving
wedge into the Red army posi-
ton.
"Our troops first cut them off
erd then by decisive blow COM
r.etely li1uidated the enemy group
Which had broken through" the
communique SAID" Two compa.
MES of German automatic rifle
men were wiped out, seven tanks
and two ar,nord cars destroyed"
In another sector repeated at
tacks by large forces Of tanks were
flung back and the Germans re-
tired after the loss of 10 tanks.
The communique said that 148
Nazi tanks were destroyed in Tues.
days fighting As of them south
west of Zhlobin and so in the Ko-
Continued on Pare Two. Col y