TANK BATTLE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 July 1942, Page 4

TANK BATTLE

ENTERING ON THIRD DAY SOVIET SUCCESSES IN SEVERAL AREAS. BAYONET CHARGES IN SMOLENSK REGION. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day. 11.55 a.m.) LONDON, July 3. Fighting is growing in intensity on the Kursk front, where a critical tank battle is entering its third day, sgys the Moscow radio. The Russians, J repeatedly counter-at-tacking after hand to hand fighting, threw the Germans out of three villages and captured prisoners and booty. Fifty per cent of two German regiments were killed. The Russians, with bayonet charges, repulsed a German drive to capture an important Russian defence line on the Smolensk front and killed several hundred Germans. The Germans attempted a dawn attack in a narrow sectoi on the Kharkov front but were flung back, with more than 1,000 killed. The Russians, in capturing a height on the Bryansk front, killed 250 Germans. ’

SOME ENEMY CLAIMS (Received This Day, 11.55 a.m.) LONDON. July 3. The Berlin radio declared S.S. troops last night beat off a Russian infantry and artillery attack north-westwards of Taganrog. The radio message added: “Mopping up continues in Sebastopol, where the Axis forces arc methodically clearing Russians from underground passages and caves.” A German communique claims that in the fighting for Sebastopol yesterday 50,000 prisoners were taken. The Berlin radio quoted a High Command announcement that Russian prisoners at Volkhov total 34,700, including many high officers.

GREAT AIR BATTLE PRELUDE TO NAZI OFFENSIVE. (Received This Day, 11.40 a.m.) LONDON, July 3. The Vichy radio said the biggest air battle in history preceded the German offensive in the Kursk area, which is the main drive in the great offensive between Kursk and Voronej. The first German thrust reached positions forty miles eastwards of Kursk which have been taken and retaken.