Evening star., 1943-03-26
Red Army Battling
Fresh Nazi Forces
North Of Chuguev
General Pressure
Toward Smolensk
Is UnsIuckened
By EDDY GILMORE,
Associated Press War Correspondent

Associated Press War Correspondent.
MOSCOW, March 26. Before
mounting German resistance the
Red Army steadily pressed on in
one sector of the western front
today and halted to consolidate
its positions in another, but the
general pressure toward Smo-
lenSk was unSlackened.
On the northern Donets River
battle-ground the Russians fought
bitterly against large units of Ger
mans. the battle shifting this way
and that in the Belgorod sector
where. the midday communique
said, the Soviets recaptured two set
Elements they had lost previously to
the Nazis.
The Russian midnight COM
munique as recorded by the Lon
con Soviet radio monitor de-
clared Russian artillery had
smashed German tank and in
fantry columns making new at
tempts to cross to the eastern
shore of the Donets River east of
Kharkov.
ct reported that Soviet troops
north of Chuguev successfully
defended height against tank
and mortar array supporting a
German infantry regiment in one
sector and that Russian field
guns in another sector killed
more than 500 attacking Ger
mans. Russian flrepoWer also
dealt heavy punishment to Ger
man forces northeast of Khar-
kov, it was saidJ
Fresh German Forces.
1t was obvious from the character
of the violent battles north of Chug-
uev that fresh German forces were
at the battlefront.
The Russians are stubbornly de-
Tending the river against heavy
pressure from tank and motorized
infantry outfits and bloody battles
have been resumed. Yesterday it
was indicated the intensity of the
German thrusts had slackened
In the Kuban Valley. the Red
Army maintained the tempo of its
renewed offensive.
The midday war bulletin told how
the Russians crossed an unidenti-
fed waterway, fell on the surprised
Nazis. killing 200 and putting the
remainder to fight. In still another
Kuban sector the Soviets recaptmed
supply point settlement, seizing
much equipment.
The Russians thus continued
their advance toward Novorossisk
and Kerch Strait
$4,000 Reported Liberated.
A dispatch to Red Star. the Red
Army's official newspaper here, said
that in one sector of the Smolensk
area the advancing Russian troops
liberated 10000 Soviet citizens
whom the Germans had herded to-
gether for shipment to Germany as
laborers.
The dispatch said. too. that hav-
ing crossed the Upper Dnieper
River and reached several streams
west of it, the Russians had en-
tered a new German defense zone
of considerable depth with numer-
Gus f1repeints and Notifications
largely built by forced labor.
Many of the firepoints, Red Star
said, had been built in the bends OF
the river and behind these fortifi-
cations the Germans were attempt
ing to create desert areas" driv-
ing the inhabitants from their
homes and burning all the buildings
they could before retreating.
Both sides are introducing masses
of new artillery and aviation power
in the area as the battle mounts
Red Star declared.
Cut Behind Enemy Lines.
The Russian drive north of the
Vyazma -Smolensk railway has cen.
tered for the last few days above
Dukhovschino. 80 miles northeast
of Smolensk. Izvestia, the govern
ment newspaper. told how the Rec
Army, after catching up with the
Germans north of Dukhovschino
formed small bands which cut be-
hind the enemys lines.
Pravda, the Communist party or.
gan, also reported that the Ger
mans introduced more units OF
fresh troops into the battles north
Of Chuguev and drove new attacks
against the Soviet lines.
Pravda said a violent fight for a
hill on the western bank resulted In
severe losses for the Germans and
that the strategically important
height again was in Soviet hands.
The Germans used 20 tanks and
a regiment of infantry originally to
take the hill.