Show Loss Deprives Reds r Of Facilities To Maneuver Forces MOSCOW Dee Dec 15 UP Up Mars Mart shat Fritz von Mannstein thre threw the cream of his German army army into an or nothing gamble for Kiev liev Wednesday after the strongest strong strong- est blow of his month-long month counteroffensive counteroffensive coun- coun threw the Russian de defenders defenders defenders de- de fenders out of 48 miles mUes west of the Ukrainian capital Two days after reporting that the he German onslaught against the Kiev salient might have been stifled the Russians acknowledged a serious setback in the loss of key communications hub from which seven highways radiate radiate- like the spokes of a a. wheel German troops some strong paced by tanks won in the greatest single attack of the entire counteroffensive counteroffer sive The victory increased greatly great great- ly the German ability to maneuver tanks and infantry for continued assaults Military sources expected Mannstein Mannstein Mann Mann- stein to move quickly to capitalize on the seizure of the focal road center in hope of or wiping out the the soviet salient looping westward from the and recapturing Kiev by the end of the year ear I His prodigal expenditure of men and machines was regarded as asa a supreme effort to reduce the ig ignominy ignominy ignominy ig- ig I of his retreat through the Ukraine and r restore Ator the nazi nui wi win winter ter line along the middle I App Apparently realizing that he no longer could rely solely on his in infantry infantry infantry in- in fantry and artillery to repulse Russian blows Mannstein was re reported reported reported re- re ported to have introduced new va variations variations va- va nations of tank tactics west of Kiev Formerly he threw all his tanks Into the attack leaving few If any in reserve Recently he has been using only part of his armor for forthe forthe forthe the assault leaving a considerable proportion in reserve and burying some near near the front lines for use use as firing posts The army organ Red Star said the Germans also were sending out small units of tanks to decoy larger Russian Hussian armored groups into the path of fire from tanks buried near the infantry lines New details of the capture of river stronghold stronghold stronghold strong strong- hold indicated that a sizable German German German Ger Ger- man garrison had been enveloped for some some time and was wiped out in the final storming of the town Bitter street fighting marked the last stage of the battle battle battie bat bat- tle tie front reports said Stiff resistance resistance resist resist- ance by Germans entrenched in symmetrical blocks of stone houses obliged the Russians to fight through the town block by block |