LARGE NUMBERS DESTROYED BY RUSSIANS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 July 1943, Page 4

LARGE NUMBERS DESTROYED BY RUSSIANS

Factor in Poor Progress of Nazi Offensive BUT GERMAN ARMIES FAR FROM EXHAUSTED PRESENT PRESSURE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE (By Telegraph—Press Association.—Copyright.) (Received This Day, 12.35 p.m.) LONDON, July 7. Despite their losses of tanks, planes and men, the Germans are still far from exhausted in the latest offensive. The Russian Command expects the Germans to keep up their attacks uninterruptedly for at least two to there days longer, even if losses continue at the present rate. x Moscow reports say that the Germans have lost 1,2/1 tanxs and over 400 planes. , x x z + It- is obvious, Reuter’s Moscow correspondent states, that the Germans are pinning much faith in their Mark 6 Tiger tanks, w&ch they are using in great numbers. These tanks are going inf o' action accompanied by mobile field guns. German prisoners admitted that the tanks were forced to turn back when they were caught in concentrated anti-tank and mortar fire. _ _ t . ••••••, -x ’ • xx. The British United Press Moscow correspondent says the air battle parallels the land battle in intensity. . The Germans are. thrbwiiig in large of dive-bombers, but have failed to aphfiye air superiority. : S’eVefal German pilots shot down by the Russians revealed that they were from a Luftwaffe dive-bomber squadron which recently arrived in Russia from Yugoslavia. The Luftwaffe is throwing in increasing numbers of planes and is emulating the American method of close formation bombing, in order to protect the bombers from the devastating blows of the Russian Air Force. The Germans are not assigning any part of their fighter force to the blocking of Soviet aerodromes, in an attempt to drive Russian fighters from the sky. Although the Germans in the Orel and Kursk areas are throwing in a great weight of armour, the Russian artillery, as well as the Red Air Force, is chewing tanks and panzers to pieces, the same correspondent adds. One of the main reasons for the German failure to achieve any decisive success thus far is that they are unable to push their infantry into slight breaches in the Russian lines to exploit the successes of their armour. Another factor is that the Russians have found a means of dealing with the giant Tiger tanks. What it is cannot be revealed, but it apparently is effective. A large number of these 60-ton monster have been destroyed. The intensity of the German attacks in the Orel-Kursk sector can be judged from the fact that one Russian unit in one day repulsed sixteen attacks.. The Russians at nightfall were still in possession of their original positions and the battleground was strewn with German bodies and tanks. Reports from allrthe main sectors confirm that the weight of the German attack is undiminished. The Berlin radio stated: “No doubt the battle has not yet reached its climax. ’ ’ The radio added that theßussians were using completely new types of tanks, of Russian, British and American make.