The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1943-12-31
RUSSIANS CRACK
NAZI DEFENSES
CONTINUED From Page One)

Continued From Page One)
north in the VItebsk area Of Whit,
Russia The Soviet Baltic army cap
tured several more populate,
places.
Large Victory Salute
The RID army, which has nov
driven halfway from Stalingrad t,
Berlin since the turning point O
the war a year ago, has virtual,
engulfed Zhitomlr and Berdiche,
and is advancing beyond them to
ward Poland and Rumania. One
of the towns captured was Cher
von-arme.sk, "A miles from t h {
pre-1939 Polish border.
Stain ordered the unusually
large victory salute OF 20 salvoes
from 224 Moscow guns, reserved
only for major successes, in his
order of the day. 1t was addressed
to Gen. Nikola, Vatutln, command
er of the First Uk1ainian army.
Among the German tank divi-
Sions routed were the crack elite
guard divisions Adolf Hitler" and
Reich.
Greatest Blunder
From Stains triumphant an
nouncement it was clear that Hit
Ter and his high command were
paying IN disastrous defeat for
their greatest tactical hlunder since
Stallngrad.
Gen. Nikolai Vaiutin's batterins
ram assault was unchecked west
OF the Korosten-Ahltomlr fail line,
with nothing in sight that appeared
likely to sop IL snOlt OF roland.
NaZl Field Marshal Gen. Fritz Won
Mannstem was in nasty retreat
along a front OF lSo miles. ex-
hausted by his five-weeks counter
attack anu knocked OIL LaIo4.~c Wy
the terrific Russian comeback.
Soviet speaIneauS were within
five miles OF Antom.r, anu tile
city, virtually surrour ded, was eX-
pec1ea TO IaIl 4llomentarlly. II Was
the only important locauty taken
by the German cuuutel offensive
wnicn had not beeu rega4ned by
the russians.
Gen. valutln army was smash
Ing directly toward h ancient
DOWN OF oeIaya 1serkoV ,uIi4.e
CHURCH., 40 nllIeS south OF hleV,
toward BerdlcneV, important tor
treSS and ran juncllcn 20 miles
SCUM OF AnILolnlI, ana low ara AAa-
zatln, a junction OF Two important
rali lines 10 mlleS SOuLneaSt OF
berdlcney.
valutIn men threatened to
drive co,riaor through Won Mann
stem S Ckralnlan army ana Sepa-
lrate the group around klrovosraa
anu the Dmeper bend from those
ueployeo al Berulcnev anu Anlto-
mlr to the north.
Inc brcauenlng scope OF the Ger
man disaster was Iaoutlng IN IN
tenslty. Gen. Ivan S. bagraml-
ans Baltic froat onslaught was in
its second week 400 miles to the
north OF the Klev front, near Vlte-
bsK, and Gen. RodiCn Y. Malinov-
SKY was launching a new often
slve westward through the Dnieper
bend from Zaporche 400 miles to
the south.
Bagralnian's forces were within
nine miles of the German fortress
OF Vitebsk, which with Orsha must
be taken before the Baltic army
turns to the west. Vitebsk was
under unceasing attack from three
sides and a Berlin broadcast said
the Russians we're gaming on this
front by the sneer weight of men
and metal-"When one wave has
failed to achieve its object, another
one storms against the German
lines"
There was stubborn German re-
sistance, particularly southeast of
the city, where the Nazis piled in
reserves to protect the Votebsk-
Orsha railway. their only escape
route. Northwest and west along
the Vitebsk-P olotsS railway mobile
Russian fighters and cavalry push
ed through lakes and forests.
Malinovsky's new offensive in
the southern Ukraine was moving
down midflats and the Zaporozhe-
Nikopol railway toward that i'm.
por:ant city. 1t looked like the
beginning of an offensive to clear
Dnieper bend positions held SO long
and strongly by the Germans.
These forces should shortly join
with those to the north which weeks
ago established bridgeheads west
Of the Dnieper after taking Dnep.
ropetrovsk.
Eddy Gilmore, Associated Press
, correspondent III Moscow, said that
Wednesday, when the Russians
took $50 communities west of Kie1
and surged ahead OF their farthest
previous penetration, was "the
blacklist day for the Nazis since
their invasion Of the Soviet Union.
! The German nigh command, h,
/ said, had guessed wrong and beer
outwitted by the Red army staff
Won Msnnstein's whole Ukraini
an front is caving in," Gilmor,
wrote, his proud panzer units ar,
piling up in SHOWS. Garrisons GU
Of communications with the com
mand are being surrounded.