KUBAN OFFENSIVE

Grey River Argus, 2 June 1943, Page 5

KUBAN OFFENSIVE

BY THE RUSSIANS Enemy Outnumbered [Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] LONDON, May 31. The Exchange Telegraph Agency correspondent in Zurich says neutral correspondents in Berlin are drawing attention to the 1 fact that the German War Office spokesmen are emphasising that the Russians possess material superiority of ten to one on the Kuban front. Correspondents say this has given rise to supposition that the evacuation of Novorossisk is about to begin. The Berlin radio stated that there were continued Russian attempts yesterday to penetrate the rear of tne German defensive front by landing from the Sea of Azov through the lagoon area at the mouth of the Kuban River. The Russian attempts again failed owing to the alertness of special Luftwaffe formations, whose bombs and machine-guni fire sank 15 fully-laden landing craft and two freighters. The Russians have made only cursory references to the Kuban fighting. Berlin to-day claimed that a recent three-day battle in the Kuban was one of the hardest fought anywhere on the Eastern Front. A German front line reporter broadcasting on the Berlin radio declared: "The Russians rained down 30.000 shells and dropped 10,000 bombs oh the German positions. The Russian squadrons at night flew in such close formation that a collision was the pilot’s greatest risk.” The reporter added that the Kuban struggle was a huge battle of supplies, implying that the Germans so far had won it. OTHER RUSSIAN ATTACKS ON THE DONETZ. 1 "LONDON, May 31. Fighting has again flared up around the mid-Donetz bridgeheads. The German News Agency reported that the Russians had launched two attacks in the Lisichansk area, and added that very heavy artillery and mortar fire strongly supported the attacks. A GERMAN ATTACK. LONDON, May 31. The Berlin radio stated that German troops early to-day launched an attack west of Velish, with the ob•ject of straightening the line on a fairly large front. Enemy resistance was fierce, but the Germans dislodged the Russians from their positions and reached the lines they-were ordered to take. Russian counterattacks failed. The- radio also reported that artillery fire was increasing in ail sectors, and said the artillery was very active even on the Arctic front.