NO SIGN OF PAUSE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 June 1942, Page 3

NO SIGN OF PAUSE

IN ASSAULT ON FORTRESS IN SPITE OF MOUNTING LOSSES. THOUSANDS OF CORPSES LYING UNBURIED. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, June 23. The greatest resolution and iron organisation will be needed to push the enemy from Sebastopol, said the “Red Star” yesterday. The withdrawal of the defenders was unavoidable in the southern sector when four German regiments, supported by tanks, attacked for 24 hours. Russians, from the heights, took heavy toll of the advancing Germans with artillery. Attacks on the northern sector were repulsed, the Germans losing 1500 killed during the day, but despite their losses, there is no sign of a pause in the assault against the fortress. The Moscow correspondent of “The Times” said yesterday that one of the least trials the defenders of Sebastopol have to bear is the stench from the 10,000 corpses exposed on the rocky ground round the town. The battle has not flagged sufficiently since it started to allow time for disposal of the corpses. Last night’s Soviet communique revealed that the frantic German endeavours to capture Sebastopol by or on June 22 had been thwarted. To that end they were hurling thousands of men into the attack, regardless of losses. But their losses had certainly been heavy. One report from Moscow suggested

that the Axis has been losing some 3000 troops daily, giving a total of some 40,000 men since the offensive began.