FIERCE FIGHTING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 April 1943, Page 4

FIERCE FIGHTING

ON THE KUBAN FRONT WITH COMPARATIVE LULL ELSEWHERE. SOME CONFLICTING CLAIMS. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) (Received This Day, 11.0 a.m.) LONDON, April 18. The Kuban war front remains the most active in Russia, according to both Russian and German sources, but it is not clear whether the fighting there is on a larger scale than was previously believed or whether the Kuban area is given prominence because of the comparative lull on other land fronts. The Russians and Germans are each claiming Kuban successes, the Russians announcing the failure of German counter-attacks and the Germans saying that Russian mass attacks collapsed. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent reported that fierce fighting was raging in the Kuban, with the Germans throwing in reserves and attacking at various points with big tank and infantry forces, strongly supported by the Luftwaffe. “The Times” Moscow correspondent said violent German and Rumanian attacks failed to dislodge Russian forward elements from ground gained in the first day of a resumed offensive against the Germans’ final Kuban foothold. It is clear, says the correspondent, that battles for the Taman Peninsula will be fiercely contested. Air power, and also the ability of infantry to resist its blows, will decide the issue. STIFF FIGHTING AHEAD IN THE KUBAN REGION. GERMAN AIR RESOURCES STILL CONSIDERABLE. (Received This Day. 12.40 p.m.) LONDON, April 18. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says the Russians appear to be keeping up their pressure against the Germans in the Caucasus pocket, but the "Red Star” reports that the Germans have thrown in reserves and are reattacking at various points with big infantry forces and tanks. Fierce air battles are going on along the whole front. The Russians undoubtedly will throw the Germans from the Taman Peninsula, although there is stiff fighting ahead of them, says the correspondent. The Germans on the Donetz front have not given up their attempt to capture the important Soviet bridgeheads on the right bank of the river and the Russians are watching the position carefully. The “Izvestia’ says the Germans have still considerable air resources and the danger of air raids has not passed. The whole population of Moscow must spare no efforts to improve the anti-aircraft defences and civil defence services must maintain absolute readiness. TOTAL FAILURE GERMAN ATTACKS ON DONETZ. NOT A SINGLE BRIDGEHEAD GAINED. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 1.0 p.m.) RUGBY, April 18. Moscow messages outlining the results of recent fighting, state that after two weeks, battles on the west bank of the Donetz, southward of Izyum, ended with the Russians maintaining their advantage. The Germans did not gain a single bridgehead on the east bank. The enemy captured many streets in a riverside town, but all attempts to push back the Russians to the east bank failed. The Germans suffered their main losses in tanks and artillery from the fire of guns hidden from air attack. Groups of 40' enemy planes bombed towns and villages persistently in a vain attempt to disrupt the Soviet defences. GREAT INCREASE IN RUSSIAN STRIKING POWER. EXPANSION OF MECHANISED UNITS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day. 1.0 p.m.) RUGBY, April 18. The increased striking power of the Red Army duri'ng the war is revealed in a “Red Star” review of the two crucial battles for Moscow and for Stalingrad. In the first battle, the Russians had fifteen tank brigades against five panzer divisions, whereas in the Stalingrad offensive they had five corps of tanks and mechanised troops and ten detached brigades against five panzer divisions. In the later stages of their offensives, the Russians had eight tank and mechanised corps. The Russians gained air superiority in several sectors with planes made during the war, including a new type of dive-bomber. The Russians have also maintained an absolute technical and tactical superiority in artillery. The Soviet Air Force has also opened new schools for the bombing of German towns.