The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-11-05
Reds Strike Out In
New Kiev Offensive
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east of the Dnieper-in the Soviet
summer offensive, which cost the
Germans 2,700,000 men in dead,
wounded and prisoners.
Field reports said the Germans
were draining off strength from
other fronts to rush all available
men and machines into frantic
counter-attacks north of Kiev,
where the new assault holds po-
tential threat of splitting the Ger
man armies in Russia in two.
Initial Thrust
The initial thrust yesterday over
ran Diner, % miles northwest of
Kiev, and at least seven other
strongholds. More than 1000 Ger
mans were killed and supporting
Red air force planes destroyed or
damaged 20 German tanks and $50
trucks and silenced % artillery
batteries. Thirty-tWo intercepting
German planes were shot down.
Russian refugees who slipped
through the German lines last
month reported that the Axis had
evacuated Kiev, and that smoke
from Nazi demolitions lowered over
the city for weeks. However, the
Germans were putting up stiff de-
Tense on its perimeter, if only to
delay the Soviet campaign.
The capture of the northwestern
suburbs was credited to armored
and motorized forces which defeated
German divisions between the
Dnieper and Desna rivers several
weeks ago, then broke across to
the west bank of the Dnieper and
began the southwestWard advance
toward Kiev.
Determined Opposition
Determined opposition by IA
German divisions entrenched in a
semi-circle around Kiev halted the
Russian drive temporarily, but it
was resumed several days ago fol-
lowing the arrival of strong REIN
forcementS.
To the south, hard-hitting Don
and Kuban cossacks reached the
south bank of the Drieper estuary
along its entire course and drove
the disorganized enemy remnants
into the salt marshes for final an
Inhalation.
OF the Nogaisk steppes, only a
narrow neck of land somewhat re-
sembling the Taman Peninsula in
the Caucasus in configuration re-
mains to be occupied. That should
require only a few hours.
Thousands of Germans persisted
in slaughter of the salt marshes
opposite Kherson on the Dniepel
estuary. Soviet bombers destroyed
part of the river crossings before
the Germans could reach them and
with fighters and attack planes
bombed and machine-gunned all
who tried to escape In barges OF
boats.
Cossacks cut the German real
guard to ribbons with their sabers
and tommy guns and Soviet artil'
lery, following in their wake, de.
stroyed the pontoons still afloal
in the river.
The Red Army also gained new
ground west and southwest OF Neve
on the central front, where a full
scale offensive might cut through tt
the Baltic and trap the huge Ger
man forces arrayed before Lenin'
grad and to the southwest.
Noyokhoyansk, 10 miles southwest
of Newell and only go miles east OF
the Latvian border, and more than
30 additional towns and villages
were liberated In what the Soviet
high command called engagements
of a local character" Particularly
fierce fighting developed near one
town, but the enemy battalion de-
Tending 1t was mainly annihilated'
and its remnants captured.
hopping Up
The Don and Kuban Cossacks
all but completed the hopping up
OF the Nogaisk Steppes with the
capture OF Tsurupinsk, a suburb OF
Kherson on the opposite bank OF
the Dnieper; Golaya Pristan, on
the south bank OF the Dnleper four
miles from the Black Sea, and some
30 other localities.
The German Army on the Nogaisk
Steppes had been smashed. More
than 1000 Germans were killed yes
terday alone and 26 tanks, 10 self
propelled guns. fiye armored cars
and more than 100 trucks loaded
with troops and supplies destroyed.
1.-THE remnants OF the dispersed
enemy are surrendering In large
groups" the Soviet high command
said. Large booty was captured"
In the Dnieper Bend, where an