Evening star., 1943-10-05
Germans Report
New Big-Sca|e
Attacks by Reds
Russian Assaults in
kubun Thwurted,
Berlin Says

~ 'If \ RrHttiat'O l'lt
LONDON. Oct. 5.-Dc5plte
heavy autmnnal rains. which
Moscow dispatches said were
begging down the Red Army Of
fenSiVe along the 750-miIc east
crn front, the Germans today
reported a resumption Of large
scale Soviet attacks in the Kuban
brid9ehead in the Caucasus and
the eruption of violent fighting
at the mouth Of the Prlpet River
and west Of SmOlenSk.
The German COmmumlQuo asserted
that Soviet attempts at a break
through in the Kuban were thWartcd
and that enemy local attacks" at
several points of the northern sector
of the eastern front were "frus-
tratcd
The burst Of activity IN the critical
SmOicnsk-KIeV sector was "stlll 60
ing on at present the Germans
SAID.
The Russians themselves. howe ever
announced only engagements of
local importance in the White Rus
sian region except for few fierce
but isolated tank battles in which
Red Army troops were said 10 have
forced another river PASSAGE neaI
Gomel killed nearly 1000 Germans
and captured three towns.
Nazi Assaults Reported.
dispatches direct from Mos
co" said the Germans were
communicating and Red Star.
Soviet Army newspaper, il a
leading editorial took cognlzance
of the German assaults. saving.
The repulse Of these counter
attacks Is one Of the most nee
essarE undertakings for further
inc our successful offensive.
Red Star did not specify
where the big German counter
attacks were coming from but il
can be assumed they are taking
place throughout the entire CEN
tral front
Rains Help Slow Reds.
Enemy resistance appeared to
have atiffentd both in White Rus
sla and along the Dnieper River
wall IN tn" Ukraine. but there was
every indication both in the Mos
COW war bulletin and dispatches
from the front that heavy rains
were playing their part in slowing
down SOV!o' operations. especially
in tho bog infested White Russian
terrain
Russian Warplancs however. took
TO the air Yesterday to pound the
last Germ an remnants fleeing from
the Western Caucasus to the Cri-
mea. They sank SIX barges carry
ing troops and war supplies de-
StrOycd more than 100 trucks and
armorcd vehicles and dispersed
ground troop concentrations. the
Soviet bulletin said.
A Berlin broadcast admitted the
abandonment of Staro- -Tamans-
kaya, virtually the last German base
on the Taman Peninsula opposite
thC Crlmca
Take Advantage of Lull.
While bad weather and fierce Nazi
resistance had slowed the Red Army
for the first time since the capture
Of Orel. the lull save the Russian
command an opportunity of prepar-
ing for the next big phase-a tre-
mendouS drive across the Dnieper
aimed at clearing the Ukraine Of
enemy positions west to the borders
Of BesSarabla Men and material al
ready were being maSsed for this
expected operation.
Soviet gains III the GOmcl sector
OF White Russia came when a COM
pany of automatic riflemen Crossed
a river near Gomel-probably the
SOzh northeast of the city-and
routed the enemy to open a path
for stronger Russian forces, the Rus
sian Communique said. On the same
sector seven desperate counter drives
were beaten off with 5000 Germans
left dead on the field of battle
Battering at the approaches to
Vltebsk north of Gomel, Red Army
Spearheads captured three towns,
killed 300 Germans and successfully
held off a series of counterattacks
both there and near Mogilev, mid
way between Gomel and Vitebsk.