The Wilmington morning star., 1943-11-24
SOVIETS FORCED
TO GIVE GROUND
CONTINUED From Page .One)

|
and Gomel where fierce fight
ing is continuing"
In the drive toward Orsha, the
Germans said, the Russians had
hurled "a infantry divisions and
six tank brigades-perhaps $780,
900 men-in the battle already sew
en- days old.
The Germans also admitted a
withdrawal in the Gomel area
where they said they had retreat
Ell "southwest of Gomel. They did
not explain whether the movement
was from the city or toward it.
Gonel is hemmed in by the Rus
SLAMS from the east, west and
north.
CHS reported q British broadcast
which quoted the Vichy radio as
saying that Gomel has fulfilled
an important tactical purpose in
the past few months" These
phrases usually precede a with
drawaD
The Soviet communicates said
only that in the area west of Re-
chitsa several populated places
we're captured while north of Co.
mel the Russians improved their
positions.
In the Pripet marshes the Rus
SLAMS captured more than 40 towns
and hamlets including the district
center Of Bragin, IS miles south
west of Gornel, where the Russians
were driving over frozen mud.
To the south in the Dnieper bend
the Russians increased their pres
sure to straighten the last Nazi-
held eastward bulge in the lower
Ukraine. Ten fortified German
places were captured in the sec
tor southwest of Dnepropetrovsk
and nine taken south Of Kremen-
chug. The Germans here said they
were fighting bitterly against
vastly stronger Soviet forces.
The Russians also announced the
capture Of the Railway town Of
Likoretka in this area.
MAPS show Lekarevka %
miles southwest of Kremenchug
On the railway to Znamenka.
The Moscow newspaper Red Star
reported the east bank OF the
Dnieper virtually cleared of Ger
mans as organized resistance ceas-
ed more than "a hours ago. The
Germans were said to be fighting
now only at the crossings. Inside
the Dnieper bend, the paper said,
the Germans were increasing their
counter-attacks as cold weather
provided surer ground for their
vehicles. Fighting was limited to
about eight hours daily as the
days grew short in winters ap-
proaeh, but the Russians were
resorting more frequently to night
operations, attacking the Germans
when the latter's attention was re-
Taxed.
The continued Russian retreat
in the north Ukraine was the ma
;or development of the day as the
wording Of the Moscow communi-
cue indicated that Field Marshal
Gen. Fritz Won Mannsteln's forces
had carried Almost halfway back
to Kiev from Zhitomir in ten days.
Moscow dispatches said the Ger
zone Of counter-attacks
mans had widened their main zone
Of counter-attacks as cold weather
facilitated maneuver Of increas-
ing numbers of mobile guns.
Red Star sadi the Autumn mud
which had begged the roads had
teen completely dried by the first
frosts and fast moving eney units
prodded for soft spots in the Rus
sian lines, trying to open flanks to
attack by the main German forces.
The Germans appeared striving
to clear lateral communications
via the Lenlngrad-Odessa railroad
but the Russians still held the
| junction Of Xorosten and Ovuch to
the north.
German victories so far in this
area have 1t proved decisive and
the Russians were reported NOV
ing up large forces to reply.
The Germans did not claim too
much. Gen Kurt Dittmar, Berlin
radio commentator. said cit can
not be overlooked that the fight
ing around Zhitomir, like the
operations in the Dnieper bend,
represent defensive battle for the
Germans.
Martin Won Hallensleben Of
DNB said ut can be seen that by
attacking west Of Kiev the Ger
man command does not so much
intend to gain ground as to tie
down as firmly as possible the
enemy forces in that area"