Evening star., 1943-11-29
Kiev Largely Spared
AS Reds Shift Battle
arther Up Dnieper

| LHS ONTutIS NOUSWOCT Q7t0 HO1D
it is supplying torward forces
1o1o battling German counter
attacks to the Oest is told in the
tollotDing story by Associated
Press War Correspondent Eddy
Gilmore. He is one OF a group OF
American and British corre-
spondents making the first trip
to Kiev by any foreigners since
the Nazi forces ,Dere dripen out.)
BY EDDY GILMORE.
KIEV, via Moscow, Nov. % Ode.
layed) The battle of Kiev wa!
more or less battle of bridges
When the Russians retreatec
from Kiev In 1941 they blew up thu
main bridges across the Dnieper
They were never put back by thu
Germans as they pressed east o.
Kiev when they had things going
their way.
These permanent bridges ther
were denied the Red Army on it!
westward push. Soviet engineer:
constructed temporary bridge.
across the wide river. Other engi.
neers put up more spans.
Bombers came and bombed tn,
bridges. Some of them were hit
So were a lot of German bombers
But the engineers kept building
more bridges.
Earlier today I went down to the
high Kiev cliff and watched Amer.
lean vehicles come over these
bridges.
Shifted Battle to North.
1t. Col. Nikolai Valodin of the
lst Ukrainian Front Engineering
Corps stood on the bank with m
and explained:
In this battle of supply, the Rec
Army spraing surprise on the
Germans by it's sudden crossing
north of the city. We crossed the
river and put up the biggest battles
north of the city because we didn't
want to destroy our Ukrainiar
capital any more than was needed.
Col. Valodin explained that wher
the Red Army drew up under Kiev's
cliffs Soviet rif1emen, snipers ano
machine-gunners raked the cliff.
where the Germans were dug in
but did not shell the city.
We turned toward the Kiev cen.
trail bridge. Just like the one
crossed over north of the city. it /;
made of pontoons and of hand.
hewn pine.
I'VE captured lots of those pom.
toons from the Germans at the
DON" said the young engineer, who
speaks English with an Oxford &C.
cent
Despite the fact a large caravan
Of trucks was beginning to make its
way over the bridge before us.
couldn't help asking him about hi,
English
Long Line Of American Trucks.
Il learned it in Leningrad," ht
laughed, land hope you'll pardon
me, but my teacher was very anxious
that l should never pick up ar
American accent. Now perhaps
shall. But speaking OF America
look at those trucks. You gave u.
those"
They were American trucks thi,
time-a long line ploddine alone
bearing extra-heavy loads.
Their drivers had come close tc
us as they plowed up the bank Of
a twisting road from the river.
saw how tired they looked, and sale
so.
Yes, but you would be surprised
how they go and return time anc
again, refusing TO take sleep. These
drivers are heroes, too," Col. Valodir
said.
He said the Russians main cross.
ings north of Kiev so surprised tn,
Germans that they were not abl,
to switch large forces there in time
Our commanders kept the mair
flow of early supplies coming owe,
bridges to the north of Kiev," h,
explained, "as another measure tt
keep from having more bombs fal
on it."
When the Red Army took Kiev
|! it shifted the bridges nearer tn,
center of the city.
Tanks Cross on Ferries.
This bridge which is about
mile and three-tenths long" Col
Valodin said, was slightly north O
here to Begin with. On Novem
Der 8 we switched it here in an
other engineering feat"
| We looked up and down the rive
and saw tanks coming over OF
ferries.
mo, we don't bring tanks acros
on these bridges" he said.
My companion said it took tn
Russians about 80 minutes to loa,
each tank onto a ferry, get it acros
the river and unload it.
The conducting officer explaine,
the Russians seldom use the ic
on the river for tanks in crossing
and then only for small tanks. H
said 3O-ton tank takes 1871 inche
OF ice and huge mobile guns TAX
IS inches-which is some ice.
Col. Valodin said the Russian
now are building new bridges in tn,
klev area because the ice will b.
coming soon and the spring thay
must be given consideration.
I rode back to the hotel Tn,
endless procession of trucks still wa
going by.
After dinner and all through tn,
night I was awakened several time
by shouts of drivers and the grind
ing of gears. The trucks kept NOV
ing westward
Soldiers March Westward.
The trucks were not all that wen
westward-all through the night
heard the slug-slug of soldiers fee
and often their Red Army songs a.
they moved up into battle.
There are few things as stirrin,
to hear as a Red Army chorus of !,
hundred or so voices singing march
ing songs in the black of night
Night seems to give added color II
the rich musical tones.
Tanks galore were going past
Sometimes Red Army men were rid
ing atop them. All were hurrying.
You have to have a balcony sea
on a Red Army supply line to reall,
get the impression of what the Rus
slams are able to throw into battl,
uybey fhn rninr nate <o,,~L