Evening star., 1943-12-13
|SoviietsAttack
In nFierce Drive
West Of Kiev
Several Nuzi Points
Taken in Major Turn
Of Battle Tide

| oS lHt ASSOCidleu HTeSS.
MOSCOW, Dec. 13.-Regainine
the initiative in the Kiev bulge
after four weeks of heavy de-
fenSive fighting, the Red Army
was attacking fiercely today
south and southwest of Malin, 55
miles west of the Ukrainian cap
ltal, after wrestling several
points from the Germans yes
terday in the first major turn OF
the battle in this sector.
Farther south, Soviet forces can.
tured Chigirin at the northern end
of the Kremenchug bridgehead and
took eight more populated places in
their drive for the industrial town
Of Klrovograd inside the Dnieper
bend. A Russian communique said
mobile detachments had cut the
road running to Chigirin from the
southwest, threatening the Germans
with encirclement.
The Red Army appeared to have
concentrated sufficient forces inside
the Kiev salient to overcome any
new threat by the Germans. whose
powerful mechanical thrusts had
pushed the Russians steadily back
in the Zhitomir and Korosten Sec
tors, although failing to tear a hole
in their lines.
NaZi Attacks Beaten Back.
The Soviet war bulletin, describing
flerce fighting south and southwest
of Malin, said the Red Army killed
900 Nazis in dislodging the Ger
mans from several populated places
and destroyed % tanks, self
propelled guns and 40 trucks. In
another part of the area the Rus
slams beat back several German
ATTACKS, killing 900 Nazis and setting
fire to seven tanks.
German broadcasts inferen-
TALLY admitted a turn in the flow
OF battle in the kiev bulge. and
indicated that the Red Army to
the south in the Dnieper bend
was sWarming down on kirovo-
grad, threatening that industrial
and railroad town with encircle-
ment.
tThe German commuMoue
said the Soviets had brought up
fresh forces and launched fierce
counterattacks" in the crucial
battle of the Kiev bulge. The
Germans declared the Soviet at
tacks were repulsedD
Engineers OF the first Ukranian
front were given much of the credit
for bunting the powerful tank sup
ported German drive An officer just
returned kom the Kiev sector said
that wherever the Germans man
aged to push forward a few kilome-
tera they found themselves confront
ed with new Soviet defense lines set
up by the engineers. Superior Rus
sian artillery, which destroyed hun
dreds of tanks, also has played a
vital role
Forced Back in Disorder.
with each battle experience, our
self-propelled guns are increasing,
said an Izvestia dispatch. They
have become mortal danger to the
Germans"
The Russian drive for Kirovograd
which now is in danger of encircle-
ment. was resisted stubbornly by
the Germans in one area yesterday
but they were finally forced to re-
treat in disorder after they were hit
from the flank by Red infantry and
tanks, the Soviet communiaue said
In another sector, 800 Nazis were
reported killed and Is tanks dis
abled or burned
The I'd Ukrainian Army of Gen
Ivan S. Konev is now midway be-
tween Kirovograd and the railway
junction of Dolinovka. One force is
moving toward Kirovograd from the
southeast, while another is pushing
down on Dolinovka from the north
west The entire core of commu-
MICA tions in this area is thus
threatened.
GA German broadcast recorded by
Reuters said yesterday that Soviet
forces southeast of Kiev had pene-
trated the city of Cherkasy to the
area of the railway station. There
was no mention of fighting in Cher
kasy in the Soviet communique)
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