Evening star., 1943-10-02
Russians Pound
Bases Barring
Way 10 Poland
Reds Take 460 Towns,
Nozis Claim Major
Success on Dnieper
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press
LONDON, Oct. q With the
Russian and German Ukrainian
armies locked in a terrific strug-
gle for Kiev and the lower
Dnieper River Valley, Red Army
Air Force bombers have un-
leashed a bombardment against
three White Russian rail centers
barring the way to invasion of
German-held Poland and the
Baltic states.
The Moscow radio said today that
Mogilev, OrSha and Vitebsk. strongly
fortified German bases in White
Russia, were pounded for the second
straight night by large formations of
Russian bombers.
This operation evidently was IN
tended to soften up Nazi defense
lines and pave the way for advanc-
ing Red Army forces which yeSter-
day surged forward over rain soaked
terrain to reach the Pronya River.
20 miles east of Mogilev and II miles
west of Cherlkov, capture of which
was announced earlier in the day.
$500 Nazis Killed.
The Soviet columns rolled west
ward through $50 towns and villages.
killing more than $500 Germans
ano collecting huge stocks of aban-
doned war material which the Ger
mans had failed to destroy, a COM
munlque said.
The war bulletin. detailing land
advances in the White Russian sec
tor, said other drives were aimed at
Gomel and Vitebsk The Germans
brought up artillery to meet the ad-
vance on Vitebsk and counterat-
tackled several times, it said, but Red
Army shock troops battled their way
to stubbornly defended height.
The Germans also were fighting
desperately to hold Gomel, further
to the south. Here defenses studded
with numerous blockhouses and pill
boxes checked the Soviet forces. al
though they succeeded in breaking
through at some points. Red Army
troops were reported within ii miles
of Gomel several days ago.
Nazis Claim Victory on Dnieper.
The Moscow bulletin. for the sec
ond straight day. avoided mention
Of the Ukrainian fighting. but Nazi
broadcastS claimed a major de-
fensive success" near Zaporozhe on
the great bend OF the Dnieper River.
Here, the German high command
communique said. the Russians lost
l40 out of $50 tanks in a mass at
tack on German forces defending
that river and rail center. Berlin
said the Russians attacked with IS
infantry divisions and six tank
brigades, backed by heavy artillery
support, along a 70-mile front.
German commentators main
tanned that the shortened German
lines permitted them greater mo-
bllity in meeting Russian attacks
and that their artillery concentra-
tions were effectively checking
Russian attempts to cross the
Dnieper in force.
Kiev Fighting Not Mentioned.
Fighting at Kiev. where one Of
the decisive battles of the war ap-
pears to be in the making. was not
mentioned in either the Russian or
German communiques.
The Berlin radio, in broadcast
recorded here by the Associated
Press, reported that Leningrad had
been shelled by long-range German
guns again yesterday.
The German broadcast, quoting a
DNB dispatch, also announced that
the Nazis had evacuated Kremen-
chug, important bridgehead on the
east side OF the Dnieper River, be-
tween Kiev and Dnepropetrovsk
capture of which was announced
Wednesday by Premier Stain.
DNB said, according to the Berlin
broadcast, that while German
troops during the last few days have
reached the Dnieper at all points
during their anticipated disengaging
movements on the southern front
detachments Of German divisions
from the strong bridgehead in front
Of the town of Kremenchug covered
the detachments retreating across
the Dnieper.'
Civilians Driven West.
DNB said that the Russian at
tempt to block the retreat was foiled
and that bridges and other war in
stallations were blown up as the
Germans retreated to the south bank
Of the Dnieper.
THE entire population left the
town with the German troops" the
DNB dispatch added.
Russian communicates for DAYS
have reported that during their re-
treat across the Ukraine the Ger
mans have been driving Russian
civilians before them, to finally be
removed to Germany where they
would be forced into slave labor
battalions. The DNB dispatch was
interpreted here as confirming the
Russian assertions.