SOVIET DRIVE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 April 1943, Page 3

SOVIET DRIVE

TOWARDS KERCH STRAIT GRUDGING ADMISSION MADE BY NAZIS. X RUSSIAN BOMBING RAIDS ON EAST PRUSSIA. LONDON, April 16. The Russians have resumed their attack on the enemy bridgehead in the Caucasus, as the result of which they have reached a point 60 miles from the Kerch Straits. The Germans admit tonight that the Russians made a small local breach in the Kuban positions but claim that the situation was later restored. In the Upper Donetz area, another German attempt to liquidate the Russian bridgehead was repulsed with the loss of 900 German dead. The Moscow radio announced that Soviet bombers on Wednesday night carried out raids on Danzig and Konigsberg, bombing military and industrial targets. Numerous, fires were started in Danzig and fierce explosions were observed. Particularly large fires were caused in the area of the oil reserves. In Konigsberg large fires were caused in the harbour and station area. All the Soviet planes returned to their base safely. ALL RUSSIAN RAILWAYS BROUGHT UNDER MARTIAL LAW. - I'U. " LONDON, April 15. The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet has issued a decree putting all railways under martial law, and mobilising all railway workers. Announcing this, Moscow radio said the great majority of railwaymen were conscientiously carrying out their duties, but a small undisciplined minority was disorganising railway transport. Henceforth, all delinquents would be sent to the front unless military tribunals imposed more severe punishments. ON THE ALERT / BOTH SIDES IN RUSSIA. ACTION WHEN GROUND HARDENS. (Received This Day, 11.35 a.m.) LONDON, April 16. The pitch to which the Russians and Germans are keyed on the Eastern front is shown by the flaring up of fighting immediately the weather shows the least sign of permitting sizeable action. A slight hardening of the ground brought a strong German counter-attack yesterday in the Lower Kuban region, where activity still centres. Moscow dispatches state that this German counter-attack was mounted with large infantry forces, backed up by 46 panzer formations. The Germans pressed hard, but the attack was abandoned in face of a strong Russian defence. The Russians, in a powerful night attack, swept back the Germans. A Reuter correspondent says the Russians who are battering against the Germans’ Taman bridgehead are only 60 miles from the Kerch Straits. The Germans, in the counter-attack mentioned, lost 23 tanks and nearly a thousand men. Fighting on the Middle and Upper Donetz fronts, which hitherto has been on a comparable scale to activity in the Kuban, has become intermittent clashes, with the Russians holding on to their vital bridgeheads on the west bank of the Donetz. The Russians threw back an attack north of Chuguyev, after which they counter-attacked and improved their positions.