Evening star., 1943-08-20
Drives on Bryansk
And Kharkov Are
Slowed by Terrain
Fresh German Troops
Also Reported Hurled
Against Russians
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
MOSCOW, Aug. 20.-Dimcult
going in terrain naturally lend
ing itself to defense was reported
slowing down the Red Army to-
day as it pressed twin drives on
the Nazi bastions of Bryansk and
Kharkov.
Front line dispatches to the Soviet
Army organ Red Star reported thai
Russian troops on the central front
were encountering considerable diff
f1culties and enormous strain" al
they battled their way through
forests and sWamps and across nu-
merous small rivers toward Bryansk
Nazis Have Many Advantages.
The nature of the country, the
dispatches said. offered many ad-
vantages to the Nazi defenders.
tThe German communique,
broadcast from Berlin and re-
corded by the Associated Press,
said violent fighting f1ared along
the Mus River front west of
Rostov. The Russians were said
to have launched heavy assaults,
but the Germans declared they
beat off the attacks, encircling
and annihilating two Soviet bat
talions.
Fighting ragged without letup
on the Belgorod front, the Ger
, man bulletin asserted, adding
that Red Army attempts to effect
breakthroughs at other sectors
were frustrated. The communique
said 486 Russian tanks and 81
planes were destroyed yesterday
On the Kharkov front in the
Ukraine, some 240 miles south OF
Bryansk, Russian troops were said
to be encountering stiff resistance
in attempts to overcome German
defenses based on hills forming q
neutral line around the city.
Germans Counterattack.
Action in this sector was sharpen
ing in the face of mounting Ger
man counterattacks, while the Red
Army Air Force pounded heavily at
bases in the enemy rear in an en-
deavor to cripple supply routes.
A fierce battle was reported in one
area of the front east of Bryansk
where Soviet troops were said te
have attacked enemy positions based
on four villages. The terrain was
such, front line dispatches said, that
neither side was able to use tanks
and lnfantrymen slugged it out al
close quarters.
Fresh German battalions were re-
peatedly hurled into the fray, but
were unable to hold off the charging
Red Army, which methodically
cleared one village after the other
and threw the Nazis back to a new
line, the Russians said.
CA Moscow communique re-
corded in London today by the
Soviet monitor said 2,40O Ger
mans were wiped out and 80 vii
lagos captured as the Red Army
smashed forward on the west,
northwest and southeast sides of
Kharkov with gains of 3 to 7
miles.
Gn the drive on Bryansk Red
troops seized more than 20 vii
lagos after dislodging the Ger
mans from several fortified posi-
tions and were reported less
than 20 miles from the city.
Gains also were reported on the
central front southwest of Spas
Demensk, which is about 80 miles
north of Bryansk.)
The German air force, meanwhile
was reported striking repeatedly bu,
unsuccessfully at the Soviet COM
munication lines. From dawn tt
dusk, the Russians said, German
bombers accompanied by fighters
made thrust after thrust, only to be
repelled by Soviet airmen.
Russian Stormoviks retaliatec
with continuous bombardment o1
the German positions at Bryansk
and further west.