Evening star., 1943-11-27
Russian Forces
Advance Across
Berezinu River
BY HENRY C. CASSIDY,

MOSCOW, Nov. 27.-The army
newspaper Red Star said today
the Russians had crossed the
Berezina River, inflicting a new
blow on the disorganized Ger
man Army along the stream
where Napeoleon's legions met
final defeat during the retreat
from Moscow.
Following up his smashing victory
at Gomel, Gen. Constantin Rokos-
sovsky pushed through White Russia
west of the Dnieper River, outfank-
Ing the German base at Zhlobin, SO
miles northwest of captured Gomel,
the Army newspaper reported. The
railroad running southwest from
Zhlobin to Kalinkovichi was cut in
yesterdays westward surge, when
Soviet spearheads captured the town
of Shatsilki, where the railway
crosses the Berezina.
Gen. Rokossovskys White Russian
army reached the Berezina by
northward push along the west bank
Of the Dnieper, while other forces
enveloped and stormed the fortress
city OF Gomel east of the river.
Nazis Driven From Right Bank.
Red Star said a heavy artillery
barrage and repeated raids by the
Red Air Force drove the enemy
from the right bank of the Berezina,
which flows southeastward into the
Dnieper, 20 miles below Zhlobin.
Fast-moving advance spearheads
stormed into the towns of Nizhnia
and Olba, forming the strongest
knot of German resistance in this
sector. Then they famed out along
both banks of the Berezina, striking
north and northwest to sever the
zhlobin- n-Kalinkovichi railroad.
Red Star said the Germans still
were holding out in strongly forti-
fed bases along the Berezina to the
northwest and were offering stiff
resistance to the advancing Red
Army.
Gen. Rokossovskys triumph at
Gomel opened the way for a possible
general advance toward Pinsk and
Brest-Litovsk, chief cities of the
Polish Province of Polesie.
Siege Began October 13.
Gomel, last German-held bastion
east of the Dnieper River, fell yes
terday after siege which began
October 13, three weeks after the
Russians fought their way into the
Gomel sector and crossed the Sozh
River above the strongly fortified
Nazi base.
Held up for more than two months
by powerful German Notifications,
the Red Army troops, avoiding
costly frontal attacks against the
strategic stronghold, pushed west
from the Sozh in outflanking
maneuvers to the north and south.
Wednesdays breakthrough at
Propoisk, so miles north of Gomel,
completed the isolation of the be-
leaguered German garrison and de-
cided the outcome of the battle.
Today Gen. Rokossovsky's troops
were pouring through the Gomel
gap and extending their control on
the east bank of the Upper Dneiper.
Red Army advance guards already
were reported far west of the river
south of Gomel.
Russians Reach Davidovka.
One Red Army, thrusting toward
Zhlobin from the southwest had
reached Davidovka, today's Soviet
bulletin said, and another was surg
ing down from the north from the
Propoisk area to complete a pincer
which threatened to cut the escape
railway at Zhlobin Junction. Other
Soviet forces were cleaning up in
the Rechitsa area, west of Gomel.
moscow dispatches to London
said 20 German divisions-pos-
sibly 100000 men-faced entrap-
ment).
Capture of Gomel, from which
large enemy forces were routed"
was acclaimed in a special order of
the day by Premier Stain a few
hours after the Germans had broad
cast their withdrawal from the city.
Twenty victory salvos from 224 guns
roared the news of Gen. Rokossov-
skys triumph to Moscow's populace.
(The Paris radio said the Ger
mans were trying to rush reserves
into the Gomel area to hold the
escape route open, but admitted
they were being delayed consid-
erably by bad weather"o
Enemy Losses Heavy.
In the Kiev bulge to the south of
Gomel. Gen. Nikolai Vatutin's 1st
Ukrainian Army continued to stand