FIGHTING IN THE KUBAN

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23964, 3 June 1943, Page 5

FIGHTING IN THE KUBAN

“Still The Busiest Sector” BATTLES FURTHER NORTH (N.Z. Press Association —Copyright) (Rec. 11p.m.) LONDON, June 2. Reports from Moscow and Berlin indicate that the Kuban is still the busiest sector of the Russian front. The Moscow radio says that German Storm Troops, with infantry support, launched a counter-attack in the Kuban. but were thrown back. Russian batteries scattered a German column on its way to the front line. The Official German News Agency reported last night that the battle for the Kuban bridgehead had again flared up. It said that the Russians had attacked the eastern sector of the bridgehead, and attempted to cross the Kuban river in the northern sector, but the Germans repulsed the attacks. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says that fighting is going on unceasingly in both the mountain district northeast of Novorossiisk and along the Kuban river estuary. The approaches to Novorossiisk through the mountains are difficult, as the terrain favours the defence. The Germans can also get in supplies by air from the Crimea. In the flat country on both sides of the Kuban estuary the time for a largescale attempt to drive the Germans into the sea has not yet come. Much of the present fighting is conducted from flat-bottomed boats. Only at the height of the summer does a sufficient area dry up to enable bigger operations. Reuter’s Moscow cprrespondent says that since the Russians established their new bridgehead on the west bank of the' Donets near Lisitichansk in the first week of May, the Germans have lost 7000 killed alone, in fruitless attempts to dislodge them. _ Each day there is some engagmeent in this sector, and several have been on a considerable scale. The net result is that the Russians have at several points enlarged and consolidated their foothold. . 4 , , The Russians on the central front, facing the approaches to Smolensk, have also taken a heavy toll of the enemy since the so-called lull set in nine weeks ago. he added. From Leningrad to the Sea of Azov the two months’ lull has cost Hitler in killed alone the equivalent of three or four good divisions. Famous Siberian snipers are making life extremely uncomfortable for the Germans in the “quiet" sectors. Ten ace snipers in May killed 1062 Germans. . Berlin reports that the Russians have launched a heavy offensive at a strategical point 50 miles north of Smolensk. The Official German News Agency says that Russian attacks west of Voroshilovgrad have misfired. Fighting at Velizh Fierce fighting, it claims, also developed at Velizh, 60 miles south-east of Velikye L ;ki, where the Russians tried to pierce the main German line, but these powerful attacks were repulsed. . . , . , The Berlin radio, in a brief announcement, said that units of the 19th German Army had begun an offensive near Velikye Luki, and had captured several Russian strongpoints. There is no confirmation from Moscow of a new offensive in this area, where the Germans so far have failed to iron out the deep Russian wedge in their positions. The British United Press says that this area would be an obvious place for the Germans to strike in any central front offensive. It is here that they have made the least impression on the front and the Russian salient on this sector has continually proved a stumbling block against new German advances on the central “The prevailing opinion m Moscow is that in order to .form thestrategic reserve necessary to meet Allied °P er j* tions in other European theatres, the Germans must seek a quick decision limited to knocking out a substantial Russian force and upsetting any plans the Soviet may have for an offensive, either summer or winter, jays the Moscow correspondent ot me Times. * * “The Russian Army has been warned to expect a most powerful and concentrated attack in which the issue will largely depend on the relative mobility of panzers and Russian anti-tank forces. It is thought that the Germans are obliged this year to seek purely military successes on the eastern front, and may strike, not against great cities, rich territory, and vital communications as they have previously done, but specifically at the Russian armed forces. If such is the German plan, it is a desperate one, but the adventurousness of desperation is just what Russia is expecting from the enemy. „ “From all appearances Russia can still take hard knocks. There is no doubt that she is able to return them and is determined to strike in her own lime.” Air Operations The Moscow radio announced that on Monday night a large force of Soviet long-range aircraft attacked the railway junctions of Polotsk and Bryansk, and the railway station of Byezhitsy. Huge explosions and many fires occurred. Hea'vy bombing was particularly directed against railway trains at the Polotsk junction and the area north of the junction, where there are ammunition, oil, and other dumps. The whole area was left in flames. One Soviet aeroolane is missing. “The Luftwaffe on the Russian front is no longer the overpowering instrument of destruction that it was m June, 1941,” says the Moscow correspondent of the “New York Times.” Carl Sulzberger. “The Germans have lost their overwhelming aerial ascendancy, and they can muster probably only parity. Any effort to obtain local superiority in one sector would risk stripping the protection needed at other points. Furthermore, the efficiency of the Luftwaffe’s personnel is almost certainly steadily deteriorating. Although the Luftwaffe’s power is still formidable, it is a power that can be matched and perhaps over-matched. “It is difficult to establish accurately the exact amount of the German losses on the Russian front, but the Luftwaffe has never shown anything like its original strength because of the exceedingly heavy losses it suffered in the earlier stages of the war on the Eastern Front. The Luftwaffe had 10,000 aircraft in June, 1941, 4000 of which were reserves. Almost the entire number could be thrown against the Russians because of the Nazis’ light commitments elsewhere. “To-day, the situation is different. The strength of the Luftwaffe is at least 1000 aeroplanes fewer, and it must be prudently split up to protect the Continent from Allied aerial onslaughts or to counter the risk of invasion. The Luftwaffe reserves have also fallen off to under 1000. This aerial situation means that the Germans must succeed in their effort to achieve a decisive major victory in 1943 or else the efficacy of the Luftwaffe is likely to be virtually destroyed in the effort.” The Moscow radio yesterday claimed that the Soviet Air Force had gained complete command of the air over the Russian front. The radio reported that the Nazis lost 2069 aeroplanes between May 2 and May 29 in air combat and in Russian attacks on German air-

fields. GERMAN REPRISALS AGAINST POLES

(8.0. W.) RUGBY, June 1. News of mass reprisals by the Germans in the district of Kielce, in Poland, has been received by the Polish Government in London. Several persons who were wanted by the Gestapo were hidden in villages. The Germans burnt down a number of houses, with the inhabitants in them, including women and children. When the authorities were unable to trace those who shot German policemen, all the officials in the community were shot. In addition, there are daily executions.