BIG SUCCESS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 May 1943, Page 4

BIG SUCCESS

GAINED BY RUSSIANS IN KUBAN AXIS DEFENCES SMASHED ON WIDE FRONT. GERMANS LEAVE 7,000 DEAD ON FIELD. LONDON, May 5. A big success has been gained by the Russians in the Kuban territory. North-east of Novorossisk, they have broken through the German defences on a front of 17 miles, penetrating to a depth of 8 miles and capturing several villages. Included in their gains is the railway town of Krymskaya, the loss of which was admitted by the Germans yesterday. Krymskaya had been converted by the Germans into theii’ main centre of resistance in the region. In their advance the Russians captured 80 guns and 220 machine-guns and the enemy left more than 7,000 dead on the field. DECISIVE PHASE IN BATTLE FOR ENTIRE KUBAN AREA. SOVIET AIR SUPERIORITY. (Received This Day. 1.0 p.m.) LONDON, May 5. The battle for Novorossisk and the entire Kuban bridgehead has entered a decisive phase, with the i Russians definitely holding . air superiority. This and the Russians’ increasing references to the British and American war planes they are using effectively on different fronts, dominate the latest reportts from Russian sources. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says the Russian attacks on the Kuban bridgehead have grown into a full-siz-ed offensive, with the Soviet artillery at present playing a major land role. The Russians have reached a point overlooking Novorossisk. It is now clear that the operations around the last German foothold in the North Caucasus mainland fall into four groups (1) attacks along the Kuban Valley; (2) German attempts to beat back the Red Army threatening Novorossisk; (3) Russian commando raids on the coastline; (4) big air battles over the Kuban area.

It is something new for the Germans to find the Red Air Force dominating the skies. The Russians have' beaten the Germans from the air in a manner reminiscent of the Battle for Britain. The Russians have been using American Flying Fortresses as well as British and American medium bombers, in recent raids against war centres in Eastern Germany. The Associated Press Moscow correspondent reports that the Luftwaffe in the past two days has lost 125 planes in the Kuban air battles. The -Red Star" says air fighting is constantly going on and that: -The enemy cannot digest the fact that we have air superiority.” VAST AIR ARMADA READY TO SMASH AXIS ATTACK. ALLIED AND RUSSIAN PLANES. (Received This Day, 12.45 p.m.) LONDON, May 5. “The Times” Moscow correspondent says the Red Air Force is in the ascendant over the Caucasian foothills and Taman marshes, blasting the enemy from a tough system of fortifications, and also hitting hard against his Crimean airfields. This indicates a remarkable accession to the Russian strength during the last year. Russian pilots are now calling the tune. The Germans have rushed fresh fighter squadrons to the Kuban in an attempt to defend their infantry from the Stormoviks and protect their lines of communication. The British United Press Moscow correspondent declares that the Red Air Force has many thousands of war planes massed behind its front lines, ready to hurl against any new Axis thrust. Thousands of British and American fighters and bombers are waiting, with thousands of Russianmade war planes, in what is Russia’s greatest air armada of the war. The Hurricanes and Airacobras based on Russia already total thousands. The Russians also control a formidable force of twin-engined American bombers, which have proved effective in North Africa and the Pacific. Russia’s massive air force has struck two series of heavy blows against the enemy’s rear areas —raids last month against Konigsberg, Tilsit and Isterburg, and also heavy attacks on three nights successively against the railway junctions of Gomel, Minsk. Orsha and Bryansk. Referring to the raids against these towns, the British United Press correspondent says the Russian Air Force struck another strategic blow against the German preparations for an offensive cn ths central and southern fronts and interrupted supplies from these junctions destined for the Smolensk and Orel sectors, and further south, where fighting is expected to develop soon.

It is officially stated in Moscow that Soviet guerillas are playing havoc with the German railway system around Gcmel. Traffic over a big area has been brought to a standstill as a result of their activities, and a number of trains have been blown up in three districts.