SOVIET DEFENCES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 July 1943, Page 4

SOVIET DEFENCES

PIERCED BY PANZER FORCE NORTH OF KHARKOV CONTINUED HEAVY FIGHTING. — 1 ENEMY LOSSES OF TANKS & PLANES. LONDON, July 8. A panzer spearhead, a Soviet communique states, has succeeded in penetrating the Russian defences in the Byelgorod area (north of Kharkov). A Russian correspondent states that heavy fighting is now going on behind the Soviet lines in that area. The Russians are making strenuous efforts to dislodge the Germans. In the Orel area, a Soviet communique states, Soviet forces, in coun-ter-attacks, regained some of the ground lost to the Germans. The enemy has not advanced in this area since the first day of the offensive. In today’s fighting the Russians have destroyed or put out of action 304 German tanks. That brings the total since the offensive started to more | than 1,800. Today, another 161 enemy planes were shot down making the total more than 800. The “Red Star’’ says that about 1,000 German tanks attacked one sector on the Orel-Kursk front. Large numbers of tanks on many occasions succeeded in crossing the Russian front line, but the Soviet infantry held on to their trenches and cut to pieces the German infantry following the tanks. The tanks themselves, deprived of infantry support, were knocked out by anti-tank units.

NAZI ADMISSION BATTLE NOT YET AT CLIMAX. BUT INCREASING IN VIOLENCE. (Received This Day, 1.30 p.m.) LONDON. July 8. Reuter says that the first three days of the battle proved that the cnce famous German blitzkreig methods had failed again. The German Command evidently hoped tc smash a way through in the first concentrated blow, but this aim has been so far completely frustrated. There is no sign, however, of German pressure weakening. The Russians, on the fourth day of the battle, for the first time threw in tanks to stem the German armoured onslaught. The Berlin radio says Berlin military circles claimed that the position of the Russians in the Orel-Byelgorod salient is precarious, but admitted that the Russians are masters on defence, and that the Russians are still keeping back part of their armoured reserves. The battle has not yet reached its climax, although its violence is increasing. The Russians are clinging to their fortifications, using a new type of tank —the 34. Swedish correspondents in Berlin say the Germans have already been obliged to throw in operative reserves, an indication that the resistance is much stronger than was expected.