"Tension on Entire Front"

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23965, 4 June 1943, Page 5

"Tension on Entire Front"

both sides raid SUPPLY BASES / Press Association—Copyright) {Pec, H P' m ’’ LONDON. June 3 Both the Russians and Germans ire making all-out air assaults on •applies and communications behind the respective fronts. the Moscow radio says that, in gpite of the comparative lull a Jtate of tension prevails on the entire Russian front. Russian artillery on the Moscow front is hammering enemy positions, and -Russian artillery in the LisitiMiansk area is preventing the Germans from erecting fortifications pnd concentrating infantry. “Red Star” says that the air war js growing fiercer each day, and last night the Moscow radio gave pews of a great air battle over Rursk. It said that 500 German aeroplanes raided Kursk yesterday afternoon. Some succeeded jn penetrating to the town and bombed indiscriminately, causing damage and civilian casualties. Violent air battles developed, in which 93 raiders were shot down and 30 others were destroyed by gnti-aircraft fire. The Russians lost 30 aeroplanes. Mass raids have been made by the (Germans in the last 24 hours northcast of Novorossiisk, with groups of more than 100 aeroplanes operating on both sides. In one sector 37 German aeroplanes were destroyed. Russian , airmen have also been attacking the German defences covering Novornstilsk. The Moscow radio announcec that Soviet long-range aircraft or Tuesday night carried out mass attacks on the railway junction a 1 Smolensk and the railway stations oi Karachev and Krasnygor. As a result of the bombing of an enemy train al Smolensk there were many fires, followed by explosions. There were large explosions in ammunition dumps in the area of Karachev. Direct hits were observed in the Krasnygor area where there are large ammunition oil, and other war dumps, and the entire area was one conflagration. One Soviet aeroplane is missing, "The reason why the German summer offensive, which was generally expected to be launched in May, ha; so far failed to materialise lies undoubtedly in the terrific Russian air offensive during the vital first fortnight of May, when the German command was ready to strike.” say; Reuter’s correspondent in Moscow “Since the beginning of April the Germans have been massing huge quantities of tanks, aeroplanes, anc troops on the key fronts, including the Orel, Bryansk, Kharkov, Byelgorod Lisitichansk, Voroshilovgrad, and Taganrog sectors, but the Russian air attacks last month destroyed practically half the petrol the Germans hac brought up to feed the Luftwaffe squadrons which were destined to take part in the May offensive. Battle For Air Supremacy "Hitler has been forced to postpone the originally scheduled zero hour by the strength, timeliness, and accuracy of the Soviet air onslaught. The Ger : mans were obliged to turn back anc trv to fill up the holes torn in theii offensive preparations. These gap: were partly made good during the second half of May. which explain: the resumption of the Soviet air often five with smashing attacks in the las’ few days against vital communication centres and bases. A grim struggle i; now going on for air supremacy ovei the front The enemy is also doing his.utmost to paralyse the Soviet communications and important centres tc th n rear.” "Red Star” says that the Kuban battle is still in a local preparation itage and has not yet become a general offensive against the Germans The Berlin radio reports that the ‘third phase of the great battle of the Kuban bridgehead began on Tuesday Numerous Soviet howitzers, trench mortars, and batteries the previou; night for several hours pounded the German and Rumanian bridgeheads it said. This intense barrage was aimed at softening the German lines particularly west of Krymskaya, it preparation for an assault. The adjacent northern sectors were also subjected to extremely heavy shelling Assault By Tanks “The great new battle began at the crack of dawn,’’ said the radio. “The Russians had brought up five new lank brigades and several rifle divisions. The bulk of these tanks formec the first offensive wave, which rollec up in close formation. The Gertnar defenders allowed the tanks to approach within a few hundred yard: and then dealt a devastating blow witt heavy weapons.” The radio claimed that the majority of thfj tanks were destroyed or immobilised, but admitted that one grouf of enemy armoured cars pressed beyond the German main line to the west. The Berlin radio also said that increasingly lively skirmishes hac been reported from various parts o; the Eastern Front. A Russian regiment near Velizh, on the central front launched several attacks with the support of tanks and aeroplanes. Grim hand-to-hand fighting developed on the approaches to the Germans’ main line. Soviet operations elsewhere chiefly consisted of strong shock troop movements designed to discover the Itcength of German positions. Moscow reports fierce clashes in m® Kalinin and Kursk areas. German forces made a breach in the o? Vl n * ines the Kalinin area, but mo Russians counter-attacked and Wrew the Germans back to their original positions. About 2000 of the enemy were killed. A German High Command spokesman said that groups of Soviet partisans in the German rear were being ar i y . su PPlied with food and by air - They were also m radio communication with Moscow, om where they receive instructions, •inis was discovered when the Germans successfully concluded a puni- } e ex Pedition against a large group who had established a Wort, tied and well-supplied base w!? i Bryansk. Many partisans taken anc * m uch booty was