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SOVIET ADVANCE
IN UKRAINE
Big Tank Battles
On Plains
GERMAN EFFORT TO
SAVE RAILWAY
Australian Associated press And Our Special Representative
LONDON, August 26.
Driving steadily westward in the Ukraine, the
Russian armies are developing a serious
threat to the German base at Poltava and to
the vital railway from Poltava to Kiev. They
are now less than 30 miles from each of these
objectives, having made rapid progress since
the capture, announced in last night's com-
munique, of Akhtyrka and the important
road junction of Zenkov, 20 miles further
west.
The Moscow correspondent of British United Press says
that two big tank battles are raging on the plains
north-west and north of Poltava. The Russians north-
west of Poltava have pushed on from Zenkov and
crossed Psiol River and are now 25 miles from the rail-
way between Kiev and Poltava.
A second big battle is being fought 20 miles from Poltava,
where the Russians are pressing south along the right
bank of the Vorskla River from Oposhnia.
Equally important progress has been made by the Red Army
in the Donetz Basin offensive, where the wedges driven
into the German defences have been expanded and
deepened. Stalino, the nerve centre of the Donetz
region, and Goriovka, are now threatened by the Rus-
sians, who have smashed German counter-attacks.
[2nd column]"Russians on Tuesday along the
whole front destroyed or disabled
104 tanks and destroyed 98 planes."
Berlin radio says that the Ger-
mans evacuated Akhtyrka "ac-
cording to plan." The Russians
were still shelling the city when
the Germans had left it.
The German High Command
communique states that strong
Russian attacks continue on the
Mius front, with heavy Russian
losses. The Russians attempted
to break through at Isyum, but
were thrown back to their original
positions. The communique claims
that Germans gained some terri-
tory, and adds that Russian forces
attacked on a broad front west of
Kharkov, but were driven back by
a counter-thrust to the north.
Moscow radio says that the vic-
torious Russian forces are advanc-
ing into the Ukraine on a broad
front. The Germans are doing
their utmost to stem the drive
south-west of Voroshilovgrad.
They frantically rushed up bombers
and are manoevring their reserves
to close the breach. Despite bitter
German resistance, the Red Army
thrust westward and crossed a
water barrier.
Correspondents continue parti-
cularly to emphasise the great sig-
nificance of the drive towards the
Donetz Basin, with its potential
danger to the German forces in the
whole area and the Kuban.
Reuter's Moscow correspondent
says that the Russians captured
two important bridegheads in the
Donetz Basin, and are now stream-
ing through the gaps in the Ger-
man lines west of the important
German base of Stalino. The Ger-
mans are still sending reserves to
the threatened sector in an at-
tempt to seal the breaches but
the Russians beat off a big German
counter-attack between Voroshilov-
grad and Stalino.
[1st column]The capture of Zenkov, says the
British United Press correspondent,
gave the Red Army control of a
good road linking the two tank
columns converging on Poltava,
enabling the forces of either
column to be shuttled to and fro,
thus increasing their mobility.
The Russians took Zenkov after a
quick break-through across two
rivers, which took the Germans by
surprise.
The developments in the Donetz
Basin are regarded as most impor-
tant, because they increasingly
suggest that the Germans may have
exhausted their tactical reserve and
lack, strength, at least in these
regions, to stage a considerable
counter-offensive. They also show
that the Red Army, despite its
losses at Orel, Byelgorod, and Khar-
kov, has been reserving consider-
able forces for its major strategy,
which is the liberation of the
Donetz Basin and the Ukraine.
The Moscow communique states:
—"The Russians developed their
offensive north and west of Khar-
kov and occupied more than 60 in-
habited localities, including Zen-
kov, 85 miles due west of Kharkov,
and Akhtyrka, which has changed
hands several times.
"The Red Army south of Isyum
and south-west of Voroshilovgrad
occupied a number of inhabited
localities.
"The enemy south-west of
Voroshilovgrad is throwing in fresh
reserves from other fronts and
launched two unsuccessful counter-
attacks. The Russians gradually
are widening the wedge in the
enemy's defences and penetrating
farther. The enemy everywhere is
suffering enormous losses in men
and material.
"Red Army officers and men in
the Donbas actions displayed par-
ticular courage and a high standard
of battle training.
German Morale Declines
The Moscow correspondent of
British United Press says that the
Russians' great battle for the whole
of the Donetz Basin is developing
favorably after the hard initial
fighting. The Russians are increas-
ingly threatening two vital Donetz
cities—Gorlovka (Yasinovatuya)
and Stalino. German morale on
this front is reported to be very
low.
A Moscow message says that the
Germans on the Bryansk front have
brought in an innovation in the
form of a steel cupola, which is
wheeled about the battlefield, and
placed over machine-gun pits
where required. The Russian
answer is to knock out the ma-
chine-gunner with an anti-tank
rifle, then to blast the cupola with
high explosives.
Berlin radio's military commen-
tator, Sertorius, says that grim
battles are continuing along the
Mius front, and south of Isyum.
The battles west and north-west
of Kharkov and near Sumy are
going on "with unabated fury."
The military correspondent of
"The Times" (Capt. Falls) empha-
sises the anxiety which the fight-
ing in the Donetz Basin is giving
the Germans, who are trying their
utmost to close the "sluice gate"
which the Russians have opened.
Capt. Falls says that while the
Germans hold the Donetz Basin
they possess the best railway net-
work in Russia, of which Stalino is
the most important nodal point.
This railway system must have
been one of the chief factors in
halting the Russian drives last win-
ter and in recapturing Kharkov,
but conditions are very different
today.
Every mile surrendered south-
west of Kharkov compromises the
Donetz Basin, a retreat from which
would compromise the retention of
the Crimea, adds Capt. Falls. The
Russians are striking at the main
pillars of the German defensive
system.
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