Evening star., 1943-11-16
Mop OH Page A-6.J

BY the Associated Press.
LONDON, Nov. 16. Massed
Russian attacks dented German
lines in eight sectors of the long
Soviet front, the Berlin radio as
serted today in reports attempt
ing to minimize Red Army
successes.
Russian gains were acknowledged
by Transocean Agency in the great
Dnieper bend southwest of Dnepro-
petrovsk, north of Krivoi Rog and
north of Cherkassy. Other Russian
successes were reported in the Zhit-
omir area and southwest of Kiev,
near Rechitsa in the Camel area
and in the Smolensk and Orsha
areas of the frozen north.
The German communique, broad
cast Immediately after the reading
of Transocean dispatch recording
the Russian successes, deprecated
all the Russian gains heralded by
the propaganda agency and pic
tured the battles as vast defensive
successes.
Violent Battle in Progress.
Both accounts, however, agreed
that some of the most violent battles
of history were in progress from the
region west of Smolensk to the
Dnieper bend.
Nearly 100000 Russian troops "at
q few points succeeded in getting
through devastating German artil-
lery barrages and enforcing local
penetrations" southwest of Dnepro-
petrovsk, Transocean said. Strong
forces north of Krivoi Rog scored
some initial success and made a few
dents in German lines" the agency
added. In the Cherkassy area
100000 Russians, or 10 divisions,
pressed back German lines at some
points"
The German communique admit
ted strong attacks in all three Sec
tors, but insisted that counterat-
tacks had foiled the drives and
wiped out enemy groups which
achieved temporary breaks"
Situation Fluctuating.
Transocean said, THE situation is
still f1uctuating" in the zhitomir
area IS miles or more west Of Kiev
and the communique said Nazi coun-
terattacks succeeded in breaking
through several Soviet field posi-
tions, in seizing numerous heavy
arms and in destroying encircled
enemy fighting groups"
Southwest of Kiev, Transocean
said Russian striking forces had
broken through, but were smashed"
Renewed Russian attacks in the
area of Gomel, which Moscow said
was virtually isolated, were declared
IN the communique to have been
"either repelled or checked" Trans
ocean said the Russians in that sec
tor had been trying for three days
to capture the rail hub of Rechitsa
and they succeeded in making
dents in the German lines, whence
they made a direct attack on Re
chitsa" which was frustrated.
The propaganda agency said the
Smolensk and Orsha offensives were
made by 16 Russian divisions Of
nearly quarter million men after
"the heaviest artillery preparation. :"
Reds Repulsed, Nazis Say.
"They gained some initial ground,
but were subsequently driven back
by German reserves" Transocean
said. The communique added that
strong tank forces had been hurled
against the Nazis and that 481 tanks
had been destroyed on the eastern
front in the last few days.
Todays Russian communique
said that 5000 Germans had been
killed in the successful flanking
drive south of Gomel, and that IA
towns, including the rail station OF
Demekhi, "a miles to the west, had
been captured. Great stores of war
gear were seized, the bulletin said.
Cutting the Gomel-Kalinkovichi
railway left the Gomel garrison with
only one escape railway running
northwest to Zholobin. Front dis
patches said this line was already
being hammered by Russian
artillery.
Near Old Polish Border.
West of Zhitomir, Gen. Nikolai
Vatutin's forces were within striking
distance of the old Polish border
after the capture of the town of
Baranovka, but Gen. Vatutin ap-
parently was awaiting the outcome
Of fghting in the Fastov-Berdivhev
salient on his southern flank be-
fore continuing his westward drive
He still had 165 miles to go be-
fore reaching the German Russian
border set up in l941 before the
German invasion of Russia.
Other Russian forces continuing
their offensive action in the Ger
man-held Crimea we're fighting to
extend their beachheads north and
south Of the town of Kerch, the Red
Army communique said.