Evening star., 1943-11-28
Russia
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tary booty and prisoners were also
taken in this area.
Three Red Columns Advance.
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-
tions from various areas.
One Russian movement was build
ing bulge along the Berezina River
between Kalinkovichi and Zhlobin
pushing northWestward toward Bo-
bruisk. 1t was flanking the last
German natural defense line short
OF the prewar Polish frontier by
cutting in back of the German
Orsha-Mogilev line on the Dnieper.
Another Soviet spearhead was less
than Is miles south of Zhlobin as it
moved north between the Dnieper
and Sozh Rivers Still other Rus
sian forces moving north through
the Pripet marshes captured Yelsk
Is miles south of Mozyr. This also
was an extension Of the Kiev salient
to the south and gave the Russians
a line west of Kiev from Chernyak-
hov 95 miles north to Yelsk.
In the Kiev area the Russians
for the third successive day, re-
ported the Germans continued to
attack our positions without effect
and suffered large losses" among
them 1000 in dead.
Tanks Shifted from Italy.
The Germans who have had ap-
proXimately 10000 men pounding
at Chernyakhov, Korosten and Bru-
sllov for the last two weeks. were
said to have brought up eight more
tank divisions.
This included the SIS elite
Guard Adolf Hitler Tank Division
and the 10Th Tank Division which
have been recently transferred to
the Soviet German front from italy,
the 3rd Tank Division which had
arrived from Greece and the 25th
Tank Division which had been
transferred from Norway" the
communique said.
The Berlin radio reported that
large Russian forces were trapped
in Korosten at the western reach
OF the Russian salient and fighting
fiercely in an effort to break out.
Another broadcast. however, said the
Russians were bringing up fresh re-
serves in the area.
The new Berezina River salient
was reported in Moscow dispatches
to have outtlanked the German base
and the escape junction at Zhlobin.
The Soviet army newspaper Red
Star said the Russians had taken
firm hold of both banks of the
Berezina where the Germans had
expected powerful defenses.
Parallels NapoleOn's Retreat.
The crossing of the Berezina re-
called Napoleons retreat from Rus
sia where, in the late November of
1872, the French forced a disastrous
crossing of the river that took such
enormous toll their retreat turned
into headlong flight.
This historic battle, by coinci-
dence on November 26-28-exactly
13l years ago, was at Borisov
about l30 miles northwest of the
Berezina crossing made by the Rus
slams yesterday. The French, re-
treating from Smolensk, gathered at
BoriSov to cross the river. The
Russians attacked Borisov and the
French panicked. Hundreds were
trampled under foot as an unseason-
able thaW turned the countryside
into q moraSS.
The TSarist Russians attacked on
both banks of the river but were
held of by a rear guard until the
last body OF regular troops crossed.
The number of dead never was
known, but Napoleon, who had be-
gun the invasion with 100000 men
had no more than $500 fit for duty
three days after the Berezina cross
ing. He had lost heavily in pre-
vious battles. After the Berezina
Napoleon was in headlong flight.
In the 1943 crossing the Russians
reached the river, which flows
southeast into the Dnieper above
Gomel, by northward push along
the west bank of the Dnieper. Pen
etrating the triangle between the
Berezina and the Dnieper the Rus
slams captured the German strong
hold of Nizhnia Olba, south of
ZhlObin.
Railroad Line Cut.
Another Russian force in the Be-
rezina area had turned west, cut
the Zhlobin- -Kalinkovichi Railroad
about midway between the two rail
centers and surged west and north
The Soviet communique men
toned the capture of Yakimovska-
-Slobodka. Large scale maps show
a Yakimovskaya in the area which
is on the Berezina about 10 miles
southwest of Zhlobin.
If this is the town captured, the
new Berezina salient is now about
20 miles wide and extends about
five miles west of the railroad at
Veliki Bor.
A total Of 13 populated places
were announced captured in the