RETURN STROKE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 July 1942, Page 3

RETURN STROKE

ANTICIPATED BY NAZIS CHANGE NOTED IN SOVIET TACTICS. DELIBERATE RETIREMENT. (Bv Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) LONDON, July 21. In the last few days the fighting on the southern Russian front has spread to a still greater area south-east of Voroshilovgrad, reports the Moscow “Red Star.” A big German tank formation has been trying to force a breakthrough. There is no suggestion that they have succeeded. The situation remains grave, but Marshal Timoshenko is withdrawing his troops in good order. The general area of the withdrawal is the lower Donet Basin north and north-east of Rostov. The German radio stations are broadcasting warnings that the German people should not be misled by the extent of territory that has been captured in the German advance, stating that the Russians are employing the new tactics of falling back deliberately to the Don, where they will make a real stand, instead of defending every inch of ground as they did last autumn. “We must expect them to counter-attack with considerable forces in their own time, but we will not be surprised,” a broadcast said. “We have a powerful defence line 75 miles behind the present front.” Russian pilots who have arrived at Kuibyshev directly from the battlefield report that the Russian air forces have attained slight numerical superiority on the Don front. The fighting near Voronezh has assumed a decisive character, with both sides throwing in big tank, infantry and air forces, reports the Soviet official news agency.

The Moscow radio states that the Battle of the Don at Voronezh is entering a new phase as the Russian coun-ter-blows grow stronger. The Germans on Sunday and yesterday launched a series of counter-attacks in an attempt to recover their lost positions, but. the Russians beat off all attacks arid made a further advance. Russian planes and tanks north-west of Voronezh cut the German communication lines, and the Russians destroyed 15 tanks from strong formations which were flung in to repel them. A Russian unit at night south of Voronezh crossed the Don, cut off the Germans on the east bank from their base, and forced them to retire to the west bank. Last night’s Soviet ' communique said: “On July 20 our troops fought in the region of Voronezh and southeast of Voroshilovgrad. In the other sectors of the front no important changes took place.” The supplement to the communique reported that the Russians had now recaptured several of the Don crossings near Voronezh.