Show i Capture of Uncovered Achilles Heel of German Line By DeWitt DeUitt Mackenzie Associated Press War Analyst The bloody battle of the miles of hell along the winding winding wind- wind ing ng reaches of Europe's third big- big biggest biggest I gest jest river river has has reached its crisis in n a struggle for the crossings othis of ot this his expansive waterway behind which the retreating hope to take refuge unless the onrushing onrushing onrushing on- on rushing Russians gain control of the passages It is one of the great dramas of the war The nazis have been racing racing rac- rac ing ng back in costly confusion which in places has taken on the nature of that most dreaded of military misfortune a rout German loss of life and materiel have been colossal Now that pursued and pursuers are at the barrier the fuehrer's forces are threatened with double disaster 1 being caught and annihilated at many places before they can make the crossings 2 losing control of the feasible passages of the river and allowing the reds to get across to cut up and smash the disorganized disorganized disorganized German front Many Nazis Slain Already many nazis have been slain on the eastern bank within sight of their defenses across the way Moscow reports that great numbers of them actually have been forced into the icy waters of the river where they have drowned The nazis doubtless have been praying that the Russians would be bogged down in the sea of mud produced by the autumn rains The latter suffer the disadvantage I of greatly extended communications through a country ix in which the railways and highways have been destroyed by the enemy The Germans on the other hand have i been falling back along comparatively comparatively comparatively good communications which at least permitted fast movement of men if not of heavy equipment But the rains have come and turned the terrain into a mass of ot clinging mud more terrible than thana a nightmare The heavy neavy black mass has clung to the Muscovite boots battle like glue Its It's the sort of thing we used t to see in Flanders in the last war when it would take stretcher bearers an hour to go a hundred yards with a a. wounded man Ive I've seen the autumn of eastern Europe too too and and its it's unbelievable So in the drive on the the red motor transport and even equipped caterpillar-equipped machines have been sucked down in the mire until it seemed they couldn't move Still the Muscovites have driven through it bringing along their artillery and supplies I Believe it or not the reds even have brought their siege guns up to the eastern bank of the opposite the holy city of Kiev Kiev Kiev- strategic center of Hitler's dream- dream kingdom of the golden Ukraine One of the fiercest struggles of the whole elongated battle is proceeding proceeding proceeding pro pro- there and Moscow has reported re- re reported reported re re- ported There can be no doubt that de- de of Hitler's plunderers are already fleeing from Kiev like rats from a sinking ship So goes the struggle for the crossings of the In some places its it's reported that the Russians have even got to the west side Still out of all this sensational fighting we may find that the most important stage of the battle at the week end was the capture of gateway gateway to and from Moscow lies close to the headwaters headwaters headwaters head head- waters of the which there turns to the northeast If the Russians Russians Russians Rus Rus- can crash through the German German German Ger Ger- man line just above there in weight they will be able to develop develop develop devel devel- op a turning operation against the enemy both north and south The nazis in this area thus will be in danger of being surrounded and destroyed Already the reds appear appear appear ap ap- ap- ap pear to be launching this operation for they have swept forward some six miles towards On the whole it looks as though in the Russians have discovered the Achilles heel of the German line Through the gateway they may be able to pour disaster upon the nazis even if its it's impossible to achieve the vital crossings of the farther south |