NO IMPORTANT CHANGE

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23968, 8 June 1943, Page 5

NO IMPORTANT CHANGE

RUSSIAN FRONT ENEMY’S HEAVY LOSSES OF AIRCRAFT (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) tß ec- 8 p.m.) LONDON, June 6. v 1 Russian night communique states: On Sunday there was no important change on the front. During the week ended Saturday, 752 German aeroplanes were destroyed in aerial engagements, on enemy aerodromes, or by anti-aircraft fire. In the same period 212 Soviet aeroplanes were lost.’’ A supplement states: "On Saturday units of the Soviet Air Force on various sectors destroyed or damaged 30 lorries carrying troops and supplies, blew up an ammunition dump and three fuel dumps, silenced six artillery batteries, and wrecked and set fire to several military trains and also sank four self-propelled barges carrying troops, and damaged three guard vessels. “In the area of Sychevka. south of Rzhev, enemy infantry and seven tanks attempted to regain positions lost the previous day. All were repelled and the positions are still held. Twenty-two German aeroplanes vyere shot down by Soviet fighters, while a further five - were shot down by anti-aircraft fire.” The Berlin radio reported that the Russians on Saturday night continued their attacks west and north-west of Krymskaya, in the Kuban. They flung in strong armoured formations, supported by aeroplanes. The radio claimed that the Axis forces partly repulsed the Russians after fierce hand-to-hand fighting, which went on all night. The Moscow correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph” declares that the Russians are making extensive offensive and defensive preparations. They are intensively training # tank crews, significantly emphasising 'the importance of co-ordinated action by every land arm. Two new aeroplanes, details of which have just been announced, are expected to play a big part in the air war. One is a fighter aeroplane, the Lavochkin 5, which, it is revealed, bore the brunt of the fighting at Kursk. The other new aeroplane is a useful dive-bomber, the Petrikov 2, which at present is playing a valuable role in bombing and also reconnaissance along the whole front. The Lavochkin fighter, when it was first in action caused German pilots to avoid all combat. _ They are now engaging it most cautiously. Russian sources agree that the Germans at several points on the Russian front are at present massing large numbers of Tiger tanks with which, it is believed, they intend to attempt another break-through. . "Red Star” reports that Soviet troops have already captured a number of Tiger tanks, on which the German command is apparently pinning its hopes of breaching the Russian lines. The Germans have not yet used them extensively on the Russian front. The “Red Star’s” military expert, discussing the best method of dealing with Tigers, declares that they lack manoeuvrability, because of the weight of armour and the overloaded chassis, which is vulnerable to heavy machine-guns and even rifle fire. The Germans rely on the Tiger’s 88-mil-limetre guns to keep it out of range of its opponents. The Moscow radio broadcast an official statement signed by Mr Zverev, the Commissar of Finance, which said that the second Soviet war loan issued on Saturday for 12.000.000,000 roubles was oversubscribed during the first 24 hours, when 14,561,000,000 roubles were raised. FIVE AXIS SHIPS SUNK ATTACKS BY BRITISH SUBMARINES LONDON, June 8. British submarines in the Mediterranean have sunk at least five enemy ships. , ~ . An Admiralty communique says that one submarine surfaced off Calvi, in northern Corsica, and bombarded an enemy airfield. The short defence batteries were ineffective. In the Strait of Bonifacio, separating Corsica and Sardinia, two small supply vessels were intercepted by a submarine and sunk. A torpedo hit on a naval auxiliary of the anti-submarine type lying at anchor at the entrance to Augusta harbour, in Sicily, was followed by a heavy explosion as the vessel blew up. In Catania Bay, in Sicily, a large supply ship was torpedoed and when last seen was stopped and down by the stern. Another submarine engaged in harassing the enemy’s coastal shipping torpedoed and sank a large supply vessel near the Gulf of Policastro, in Italy. In the same area a small ship was sunk by gunfire. Off the Riviera, near Monte Carlo, a medium-sized tanker was sunk, and In the Gulf of Genoa two torpedo hits were probably scored on a large supply ship which was strongly escorted. Enemy countermeasures prevented observation of the full results. It has been announced that the Allied warships which smashed up the enemy convoy off Cape Spartivento on Tuesday night were the British destroyer Jervis and the Greek destroyer Queen Olga. FIGHTING FRENCH IN ALGERIA (8.0. W.) RUGBY, June 6. A meeting of the Fighting French in Algeria was held to-day, according to a correspondent. The meeting was described by the Algiers radio as “the first big political manifestation since the restoration of Republican’liberties In North Africa,” and as the first public appearance of the Fighting French since they become legal. M. Philip, a member of the National Committee for the Liberation of France, addressing the meeting, said that Frenchmen must reconquer liberty themselves in fraternal friendship with their allies. It was their task to restore democracy and freedom to France. Now that the democracies had built up such a superiority victory was certain. The Algiers radio announced that General de Gaulle had authorised M Montchamp, Governor-General of New Caledonia, to relinquish his post and join a Fighting French service unit. BELGIAN BRIGADE IN MIDDLE EAST PART IN OFFENSIVE PROMISED 'Rec. 7 p.m.) LONDON. June 6 Colonel Haas, commanding the Belgian Brigade, in an order of the day to troops who recently arrived in the Middle East, said: “This Allied Army in the Middle East is the army which is I to protect Africa and possibly invade southern Europe. You will soon be in a theatre of active operations. When the time comes for the offensive we shall have the position we deserve. The hour of deliverance for our king and country is approaching.” Raid Damage to Houses.—An official of the British Ministry of Health said ra * ds had damaged nearly -j.C00.000 houses in Britain. About 150 000 houses which had been wrecked had to be pulled down. An increase in operations would result in 20.000 houses bein 1913 at a cost of £4,ooo,ooo.—Rugby. June 6.

BLOWS IN ASIA AND EUROPE ALLIED STRATEGY DISCUSSED “TREMENDOUS EVENTS IMMINENT ” (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 9.30 p.m.) LONDON, June 7. “The Times," in a leading article, says: “Mr Churchill resumes his place of leadership of the United Kingdom at a moment when expectation is keyed up to the highest pitch. "The presence in Washington of the Allied commanders from the Asiatic front and the direct public reference to that theatre in Mr Churchill’s address to Congress, made it plain that the conference particularly intended to bring the war with Japan into its true perspective, after a period in which the apparent inaction of the United Nations under a series of setbacks had caused some fear that the dangers in the Far East were being underestimated. “Enough has been divulged of the general purport of the Washington proceedings to reassure the doubters. There has been a tendency in the United States, as well as in China, to raise the issue of priority between the two great halves of the war. The answer given has been that the United Nations are now making ready to grapple with both enemies simultaneously- “ Looking out once more to Europe from Downing street, Mr Churchill will perceive that friend and foe alike have become since his absence more actually conscious of the imminence of tremendous events. The Battle of Europe has already begun with the mightiest preliminary bombardment of all his'ory, which is laying the great arsenals of the German Reich in ruins and silencing the defences that guard the approaches to Italy. “On the testimony of Goebbels, the imminence of invasion is now spoken of as a matter of course in Germany, but while it is legitimate to extract so much encouragement from the enemy it is well not to move on hasty, over-ambitious conclusions. The invasion of Europe can only be rightly and safely regarded as the most formidable undertaking in military history. and it will be opposed by desperate and still undefeated men. Whatever the hopes and fears of the vassal States, and whatever fissures that threaten in German-ridden Europe, it would be unwise in the extreme to count upon any triumphs beyond that which adequate and effective forces can impose. "It cannot be presumed even yet that the Allies have had time now to mobilise the full strength needed to bring Germany to her knees. The days which lie ahead may be very long, very arduous, and very costly.”

NEUTRALITY OF SWEDEN

ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN RUSSIA t ALLEGED CONCESSIONS TO GERMANY LONDON, June 6. The fortnightly organ of the Russian trade union movement, “War and the Working Class,” has published an article detailing alleged breaches of Swedish neutrality.. The Moscow correspondent of “The Times” says that the article lists the following violations:— (1) Permitting the transit of belligerent troops, munitions, and food; (2) conniving at the formation of Swedish military units to fight for Germany; (3) trading through State arms enterprises with Germany: (4) failing to intern armed men and aeroplanes which infringed Swedish neutrality; (5) allowing territorial waters to be used for the transit of German warships; (6) the use of Swedish ports and the transferring of Swedish warships to Germany; (7) permitting Finnish shins to sail under Swedish flags. The article further alleged that 20 trainloads of Germans “on leave,” at times traversed Sweden weekly, and that 320,000 passengers of this type were carried in 1942. The Swedish State Ordnance Works, according to the Russian article, is repairing German military vehicles and supplying Bofors guns, and the ports of Malmo, Trclleborg, and Helsingborg have become practically German bases. SWEDISH DEFENCE MEASURES STATEMENT BY PRIME MINISTER LONDON. June 6. The Commander-in-Chief of the Swedish Army has called up additional forces for army training, using the Stockholm radio in a test for mobilisation in the event of an emergency. The Commander-in-Chief explained that the call-up was not caused by foreign developments but was only part of the programme announced in December for extensive winter and spring exercises. The Swedish Prime Minister . (Mr P. A. Hansson). in a speech, gave a warning that the danger to Sweden would increase as the war grew fiercer. “Our desire to live in peace has determined our attitude,” he said. “The purpose of our military preparedness is to secure respect for that desire and simultaneously maintain our freedom and independence.” GERMAN PRISONERS FROM TUNISIA SEVERAL THOUSAND NOW IN BRITAIN (Rec. 9 p.m.) LONDON. June 7. Several thousand members of the Afrika Korps were landed at a British port yesterday. They were housed in temporary camps and will later be taken to permanent' quarters. Workmen, since the ""unisian victory, have been erecting camps for the reception of North African War prisoners. As the German prisoners of war were marched through the streets today they wore brownish uniforms with big yellow patches on their backs. The public watched them with Indifference as they marched by under armed guards. One eye-witness remarked: “They look fit and do not seem much concerned.” It was reported to-day that only the Italians would remain in Britain. The total number of Axis prisoners taken m Tunisia now stands at 224,000. The United States Secretary of War I 'Mr H. L. Stimson) said to-day that [ there were enough prisoner of war camps in America to take all the Axis prisoners taken in the North African •impaign. GERMAN MEASURES IN LITHUANIA ißec. 7 p.m.) NEW YORK, June 5. Fresh troubles for Hitler and Mussolini are reported by correspondents of the “New York Times” in neutral capitals. The Stockholm correspondent of the "New York Times” learns that Lithuania has steadfastly refused to contribute volunteers for “the crusade against Bolshevism,” and that the Gestapo has arrested four members of the National Council in Kaunas, as well as practically all Lithuanian intellectuals, including professors, physicians. and priests. The correspondent savs that the Gestapo has also closed Lithuanian universities and public libraries, and destroyed scientific equinment. 23.000 books, and the manuscript of a Lithuanian dictionary which required 40 years to complete.