The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1943-11-28
100000 RETREAT
Cuerrillas Set Mines; Reg.
ulars Beat Back Ene-
nv Front Nine Miles
ABANDON EQUIPMENT
Soyiets Forces Punch Out
New Salient Along
Lower Berezina River
RY JAMES nj. LONG

LONDON, Sunday, Nov.
28-(P)-Approximately 3OO,-
900 Germans we're forced ln-
to hasty retreat from Co.
mel today. abandoning equip
ment and stores, as Soviet
guerrillas infiltrated to set
mines and road traps in their
rear and a pursuing Red
army regular force beat them
back frontally nine miles in
"a hours.
Other Soviet columns
pounded at the sides of the
Nazis' 5O-mile-wide escape
corridor, as they ran a CANT
let extending northwest from
Gomel through Zhlobin and
Bobruisk toward Minsk.
This picture was presented by
the midnight communicate. record
ed by the Soviet monitor, which al
so tolo of gains that punched out
new salient along the lower Be-
rezina river and of successful de-
Tense against the German counter
attack in the Kiev bulg' which was
reported reinforced with eight tank
divisions some of them from It
ally, Greece and Norway.
In Desperate Straits
The Russians indicated that flee
| ing Nazi forces who lost Gomel
Friday were in desperate straits.
chastity retreating under blows
by Red army troops, the enemy is
abandoning heavy equipment md
stores with military equipment and
ammunition in the area of Cvaro-
vichi," the bulletin said.
| Uvarovichi is II miles northwest OF
Gomel and only a few miles from
the railroad along which the Ger
mans were falling back. Many
trucks full of Germans We're cap
| tured in one sector and in another
10 guns, Sc machineguns and nu-
merous stores Of equipment fell to
the Russians. A total Of more than
so towns and hamlets fell to the
Russians in this area.
Guerrillas, who played an import
ant role in breaking the Dnieper
river line this fall by leading reg
ular troops through secret forest
paths to outflank German defenses,
were playing a dramatic role in this
newest bid for major German dis
aster.
Mine Road
The communicate said several
guerrilla detachments operating in
the Gomel region mined the road of
the retreating German troops and
set traps on the road.
I'm one sector Soviet patriots or
ganized road blocks and for three
days and nights fought engagements
with a German mortar column in.
flicting heavy losses to the enemy"
the communique said. "Only a small
number of German trucks succeed
ed in getting through the road block
and crossing the mined section Of
! the road"
| More than so German trucks
We're wiped out, and 400 Germans
killed in this operation.
! Some of the retreating German
divisions may have moved UP to
| the north, where the Russians, who
have been driving on the upper
Dnieper river in weel-old often.
sive that has enveloped Propoisk,
indicated stronger German resist.
ance.
and offered stubborn resistance to
our attacking troops" the commu.
nique said, recording the capture of
only a few populated places in con-
trast to the 1870 towns and harnlets
taken in the first three days of the
offensive. The Germans counter-at-
tackled in this area but more than
800 were killed and some Russian
progress was made: Military booty
and prisoners were also taken in
this area.
The entire Gomel region along
about 100 miles of front seethed
with movement as the Germans
fell back and rushed reserves to
plug gaps in their crumbling lines.
The Russians sent at least three
columns wheeling in various direc-
tons from various areas.
One Russian movement was build.
ing bulge along the Berezina riv.
er between Kalinovichi and Zhlobin.
pushing northwestward toward 30.
bruisk. 1t was thanking the last
German natural defense line short
Of the pre-war Polish frontier by
Continued on Page Two; Col. n