RATHER WEAKER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 April 1943, Page 3

RATHER WEAKER

AXIS PRESSURE IN KUBAN COUNTRY INFANTRY ATTACKS SMASHED BY RUSSIANS. STRONG ENEMY FORCES MASSING IN CRIMEA. LONDON, April 23. The Russian news is still of heavy fighting in the Kuban Country, where German pressure seems to have weakened. The Russians have smashed all enemy infantry attacks in this area and are holding all their gains.

The “Red Star” states that on the enemy’s side Rumanian troops are bearing the brunt of the fighting. The Germans have moved up hundreds of bombers and fighters to airfields on the Crimea, which are no longer waterlogged. Squadrons of Messerschmitts are also operating from bases in the Kuban Valley. The Germans say Russian aircraft bombed targets in East Prussia last night. R.A.F. planes were mine-laying in enemy waters. Two did not get back. HAVOC IN STETTIN. A reconnaissance plane paid another visit to Stettin, which was heavily bombed by the R.A.F. on Tuesday night and found big fires still blazing in the harbour and industrial areas. AIR CONCENTRATION GERMAN BID FOR MASTERY. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10 a.m.) RUGBY, April 23. The Germans have concentrated hundreds of bombers and fighters to operate on the Kuban front, where they are striving to gain absolute mastery in the air in the preliminary battles which will decide whether the Caucasus battle will end or start all over again. Air battles are growing fiercer daily, as witness the fact that the Germans lost 98 machines during the past two days for the loss of 42 Russian aircraft. The Soviet forces are beating off attacks and continuing the bombings of enemy communications and dispositions. A supplement to the Russian .communique today records that over 500 Germans were killed in further fruitless enemy counter-attacks in the Kuban area. The supplement also reports that the Germans, northward of Chuguyev, made another attempt to reach the left bank of the Northern Donetz, but Soviet artillery routed the enemy.