The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-01-11

bend southwest of Dniepropetrovsk
The reported offensive would repre-
sent an extension to the southeast
of the drives by the first and sec
ond Ukrainlan armies, with Krivoi
Rog the likely immediate objective.
The Nazi viclly radio limited at
another Russian victory brewing on
the approaches to the Baltic States,
The Red Army has achieved "im-
portant breeches" in the German de-
Tense In the Vitebsk area OF White
Russia and has thrown consider
able reinforcements into an effort
10 accelerate the encirclement' OF
enemy forces, the broadcast said
The German DNB agency reported
that the Soviets also had landed
troops on the northern coast of the
Kerch peninsula at the eastern tip
OF the Crimea opposite the eau
casus yesterday dawn. The Rus
slams previously had beachheads OH
both the north and south coasts Of
the peninsula, but the Germans
claimed to have liquidated them.
The fall Of Sarny. junction of the
kiev-Warsaw and Wilno- Rovno
railways, would force the Germans
to rely on roundabout route pass
ing through Brest Litovsk, 1870 miles
to the northwest, for their nearest
railway communications be ween the
northern and southern fronts In
Russia.
The Stockholm Dagens Nyheter
reported from Berlin that German
circles acknowledged their forces
probably had evacuated Sarny and
the German high command COM
munique yesterday spoke Of patrol
clashes west Of the town. The Rus
slams captured Strashov, six miles
east OF Sarny, Saturday.
Southeast OF Sarny
Some "A miles southeast OF Sarnv.
other elements Of the LIST Ukranian
army plunged 20 miles across the
former Polish frontier, smashed the
German Slutch river line and cap
tured Beremov, junction Of four
highways nine moles east of the
Wilno-Rovno railway, and Lyudvi-
pol, 20 miles northeast of Royno.
German administrative capital for
the Ukraine.
Gen. Nikolai F.. VatutIn sent the
southern battering ram of his lst
Ukranian army sweeping through
Nemirov, only five miles from the
Bug river, 81 miles from Rumania's
Bessarabian province and 20 miles
northeast OF the Odessa Warsaw
trunk railway, the only practical es-
cape route for German armies in the
Dnieper Bend.
The capture of Nemirov and Ko-
marov, the latter nine miles south
east Of outflanked Vinnitsa, cut a
20-mile slice out of the Vinnitsa-
Pervomaisk railway, one Of the
feeder lines for the Odessa Warsaw
trunk line from the Dnieper Bend.
Farther east, the Russians seized
Yarovatka. los miles south of Kiev,
cutting the Smela- Khristinovka
railway. another OF the feeder lines
branching off from the Odessa War
saw line. The advances left the Ger
mans In the central and northern
portions Of the Dnieper Bend only
the Smela-O Odessa line over which
to move supplies, and that was I'M
der Soviet artillery fire from Alex
seyevka, five miles to the east.
60 Towns Captured
Altogether, Vatutin's army cap
ttued more than 60 towns and vii
lagos around a 350-mile front west
and south OF Kiev and pounded to
within some 90 miles Of a junction
with Gen. Ivan 8. Konev's End Uk-
ranian army that would spring a
trap on tens Of thousands Of enemy
troops.
Konev's forces captured more than
so localities In developing their Of
fensive around Smela and beyond
Kirovograd.
Nearly $1,000 enemy troops were
killed by the combined armies, 5000
Of them by Konev's men in annihil-
ating the erlcircled remnants Of
three routed German tank divisions
and one motorized and one infantry
division which had refused to sur
render. In addition, many prisoners
were taken.