Evening star., 1943-03-29
Russians Continue
Slow Offensive
T owurd SmoIensk
BY EDDY GILMORE,
Associated Press War Correspondent

Associated Press war correspondent.
MOSCOW, March 29.-The Red
Army fought on in the mud dur
ing the night, breaking up two
German efforts to crack its line
along the Upper Donets River
and capturing four more villages
in the slow drive toward Smo-
lensk, the Russians said today,
but the once flaming battle line
apparently had subsidized tempo
rarily to series of local and in
conclusive engagements.
The midday communique re-
ported there were mo material
changes on the fronts" and was de-
voted almost exclusively to isolated
engagements involving relatively
small forces.
(The German communique, re-
corded by the Associated Press,
said that only local engagements
were fought in the central and
southern sectors of the Russian
front yesterday, but that the
Russians renewed their attacks
|. south of Lake linen and near
Lake Ladoga. The fighting
lasted all day, the communique
said, and the Russians were re-
pulsed with heavy losses)
In the push toward Smolensk,
which had carried to within 80 miles
OF the great German base, the Rus
slams reported one village was taken
by the column which has been driv-
ing westward from Vyazma and
three more by the column which for
weeks has been moving southwark
from Belly, about IS miles to the
northeast of Smolensk.
The single village captured was
taken during night attack and sue
cess came after the Russians had
engaged the Germans with bayonets
and hand grenades, the communique
said. More than 100 Germans were
reported killed and . small quantity
Of equipment was seized.
In neighboring sector a Russian
scouting party slipped behind the
German lines and attacked a Ger
man infantry column moving up to
the front, killing 70 Germans with
machine gun and rifle fire, it was
announced
The Germans attempted to storm
back into positions they had lost in
earlier fighting south of Belly, but
the Russians said the attack was
frustrated and the Germans forced
back to their original positions
minus $50 of their comrades, who
lay dead on the battlefield.
(There was no mention in the
communique of fighting near
Sevsk, town ITO miles north
east OF Kharkov which the Ger
mans claimed yesterday to have
captured. The Germans said the
town was taken after a bitter
three-day fght)
The Russian successes on the
DonetS River line were achived after
the Germans had succeeded in fore
ing back the Russian line in one
sector in the middle reaches of the
river, 1t was reported The Rus
SLAMS encircled the Germans and
killed more than 200 of them, the
communique said. The Germans
attacked in another sector in an
effort to cross the river, but this
attack was frustrated as we'll.
In the Belgorod district northeast
OF Kharkov, where bitter fighting
had ragged for days, the Russians
reported killing 13G Germans and
taking a number of prisonerss
1t was the second day of miserable
weather along the entire 1,6OO-mile
front. Thickening mud and swelling
streams were terrific burden be-
cause the transportation of both
armies depends greatly on heavy
trucks and caterpillars to pull sup
plies through the thawing SHOWS of
spring.
The few sharp clashes which oc-
CURED were mostly for local prizes
such as settlement on a main
road, a hill commanding a stretch
OF communication lines or an OBJ
scure village which might serve as
a springboard for future attacks.
The German efforts to cross the
Donets were launched from the high
developed Donets basin where ex-
cellent railways and highways are
available to gather forces and rush
them into action.