STIR OF ACTIVITY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 April 1943, Page 4

STIR OF ACTIVITY

ON THE LENINGRAD FRONT RUSSIANS SHOWING ENTERPRISE. BATTLE FOR NOVOROSSISK. (By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright) (Received This Day, 12.30 p.m.) LONDON, April 20. “The Times” Stockholm correspondent says the fighting in the Kuban area is developing into a battle for Novorossisk. German messages, referring to the area between the Leningrad-Lake Il-men-Lake Ladoga fronts, where fighting is fluid, imply that the Russians are more enterprising in negotiating the spring floods, but more or less continuous lines exist on higher patches nearer Leningrad. These lines in some sectors are only about twenty yards apart. The Berlin radio stated that the Russians resumed attacks south-east of Leningrad. Infantry attacked after an artillery barrage and penetrated the German line at several points, but the Germans, after four hours of hand-to-hand fighting, beat them back. The Germans, south-east of Byelgorod, smashed Russian groups which reached their lines in a night attack, supported by artillery and bombers, says the Berlin radio.

FORCES MASSING HEAVY GERMAN REINFORCEMENTS IN KUBAN AREA. (Received This Day, 12.30 p.m.) LONDON, April 20. The Germans are reported to have massed 8 to 10 divisions including 2 or 3 panzer divisions, in the Taman tip of the Kuban region, for a great battle to save the last corner of the Caucasus. This news is from Moscow, with German admissions that the Russians have again attacked the Axis bridgehead on the Donetz front, south-east of Byelgorod and also that the south-west of Leningrad, have followci up a heavy artillery barrage with infantry attacks, indicate that the Russian front is more active than for some weeks past. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says the Germans in the Kuban area are still fighting essentially a defensive action, but their counter-attacks are stronger and with the Luftwaffe from Crimean bases giving more effective support, the Germans hope to disorganise any Russian offensive which could drive them from Novorossisk and then across the Kerch Straits