Evening star., 1944-03-12
Russians Cross
|Dnieper 70 Seize
keyUkraineCity
Pierce Lost 60-MiIe
Stretch Held by Nozis
Near Black Sea
BY the Associated Press,

LONDON, Sunday, March 12.-
Red Army troops forced a spec
tacular new bridgehead across
the wide Dnieper River in the
last 60-mile stretch held by the
Germans near the Black Sea
yesterday and captured the dis
trict center of Berislav, only 81
miles above the big seaport of
Kherson, Moscow announced to-
day.
Berislav is highway hub for
at least four major roads branch
ing out into the Ukraine.
Units of x formation forced the
Dneiper during the night FRIDAY
Saturday, and after a vigorous at
tack captured Berislav, district CEN
ter of the Nikolaev REGION" the
midnight Moscow communique an
nounced.
Other Russian forces at the
northwestern end of the flaming
500-mile Ukraine front were re-
ported still fighting in the streets
of Tarnopol at the end of the third
day of battle for the strategic rail
town.
Short Cut Wins 20 Miles.
The Moscow communique and it's
supplement-both recorded by the
Soviet monitor-gave few details of
the Russian crossing, but for the
first time spoke of fighting South
west and south of Apostolovo."
The Russians apparently crossed
from Kakhovka which they reached
early last November after racing
across the Nogaisk steppes. BY yes
terday's short cut they won ar
advance of about 20 miles eastward
from their last reported position
on the west bank of the Dnieper
in this area.
On the second Ukrainian from
under Marshal Ivan S. Konev, tn,
town of Ladizhenka, IA miles south
OF Uman, and 100 other populated
places were captured. Seventy mile
to the west, Zlatopol and Novomiro
grad, So and "a miles northwest O
Kirovograd, were captured amons
40 more communities.
On the third Ukrainian front un
der Gen. Rodion Y Malinovsky tn,
railway junction of Dolinskaya, 8
miles southeast of Kirovograd, wa
menaced as the Russians reached
the town. Fifty other localities wer,
captured. Other troops inside tn,
Dnieper Bend captured Berislav ane
so more communities.
Stubborn Resistance at Tarnopol.
The Germans were apparently
putting up their strongest resistance
in South Russia at Tarnopol, where
the Red Army was nearest thu
Rumanian frontier and menacin,
the Polish rail center of Lwow.
The troops on the east bank il
this region had previously beer
part Of the fourth Ukrainian from
under Gen. Feodor I. Tolbukhin
and announcement of the CROSSING
may indicate that the fourth
Ukrainian front forces have either
begun or are preparing to join the
three other Russian Army group.
already pounding the sagging Ger.
man salient in the Southern
Ukraine.
280 Localities Captured.
These three groups captured 28(
localities yesterday and killed about
$500 Germans in continued gains
Among the gains reported by the
Russian communiques we're:
On the first Ukrainian front
under Marshal Gregory K. Zhuko,
in Southern Poland, German coun.
terattacks were hurled back in the
Tarnopol area. More than 30 10.
calltles were captured 81 miles tc
the west in the Proskurov area Of
the Western Ukraine, including the
village of DaVidkovtsy, 6 miles east
OF Proskurov. The Russians also
crossed the Bug River and captured
Pedosy, l3 miles. northwest of Pros.
(See RUSSIA Page A-4D