SOME GROUND

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 July 1943, Page 3

SOME GROUND

LOST BY THE RUSSIANS IN BYELGOROD AREA RESISTANCE MAINTAINED FIRMLY. ENORMOUS ENEMY LOSSES. LONDON, July 11. The Russians arc holding’ the German drive at the northern end of the Kursk salient but have had to give more ground at the southern end beyond Byelgorod.

The Germans have reached a point 20 miles north of Byelgorod. The Rus signs have brought up reserves of men and guns and have attacked the tip of the wedge and its base. The wedge is so narrow that all the German positions are within range of Russian artillery. A Moscow communique says: “The Russians yesterday on the Orel-Kursk-Byelgorod front repulsed many attacks from large enemy forces. The Red Army in the Orel-Kursk sector held the enemy attack. The Germans on one sector attacked aT several points simultaneously. Our units repelled 10 attacks and held on to their positions, and they killed about 1500 men and destroyed 40 tanks. The Russians on the Byelgorod sector were engaged in stubborn battles. The Germans brought up fresh reserves and attempted to develop the offensive on a sector where their tanks had previously driven in a wedge. The Russians held and immobilised the enemy, inflicting enormous losses.” UKRAINE SUPPLIES MUCH BELOW GERMAN EXPECTATIONS. MAJOR SETBACK IN REGARD TO FOODSTUFFS. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON. June 9. Evidence trickling in from the Ukraine indicates that German planning has received a major setback in that foodstuffs from the Ukraine are falling far short of expectations, and some satellite divisions in the Balkans have been demobilised and are returning home to develop agriculture, says “The Times.” Germany originally hoped to feed the Balkans as well as part of Germany from ■ the Ukraine. Tractors intended for the Ukraine were not delivered because the railways were overloaded. The Germans recently dispatched to the Ukraine numbers of sickles and other small tools. The Ukrainians are still hiding much produce from the Germans, while guerillas are destroying many trains taking food to Germany, or to the Russian front. German boasts of speedy recovery in the coal and iron fields and also factories have not been fulfilled. The Ukraine is merely helping Germany and not saving her.