GOOD PROGRESS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 July 1943, Page 4

GOOD PROGRESS

MADE BY THE RUSSIANSIN OREL OFFENSIVE. SOVIET OFFICIAL REPORT. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.30 a.m.) RUGBY, July 15. A Soviet communique announces a counter-offensive on the Orel-Kursk front, as well as an offensive north and east of Orel. “A few days ago,” it states,’“Soviet troops north and east of the city of Orel, after a number of counter-attacks, went over to an offensive. which began from two directions —from the area north of Orel in a southern direction and from the area east of Orel in a westerly direction. North of Orel the Soviet troops broke through a strongly-fortified enemy defence zone and broke the enemy s front on a width of 25 miles. In three days of intense fighting, our troops advanced 28 miles and demolished numerous enemy strongholds and key defence points. Our troops in this diiection have occupied fifty localities. East of Orel, our troops broke through a strongly fortified enemy defence zone 19 miles wide and, overcoming stubborn resistance, advanced 12 to 15 i miles, occupying sixty localities. In the course of the Soviet offensive, our troops routed the 56th, 262nd and 293rd German infantry divisions and the 50th and 18th German tank divisions. Heavy losses were inflicted on the 112th, 208th and 211th German infantry divisions and the 25th and 36th German motorised divisions. In three days over 12,000 enemy troops have been killed and over 2,000 taken prisoner. Our troops .captured booty including 40 tanks, 210 guns and 187 mortars, and destroyed 109 tanks, 294 planes and 4.7 guns. Our offensive is continuing." Another Russian communique states: “Today, in the Byelgorod area, our troops repulsed enemy tank and infantry attacks. On the Orel-Kursk front our troops launched attacks against the enemy, who went over to the defensive.”

The German and Italian radios admit that Soviet forces breached the German lines on the Orel sector. The Russian change to the offensive follows on ten days in which the Russian salient at Kursk, below the Orel front, wSs successfully held against attacks which are estimated to have cost the German 60,000 men.