DRIVING ON

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 July 1943, Page 3

DRIVING ON

RUSSIANS IN THE OREL AREA MANY COUNTER-ATTACKS SMASHED. WITH HEAVY NAZI LOSSES. LONDON, July 16. The Russian offensive in the Orel area gained more ground today . The Russians report a further advance of from six to nine miles, but they do not indicate where this advance was made. The Germans launched 11 counterattacks, all of which were repulsed with heavy losses. Further south, between Orel and Kursk, the Russians have gained more ground. On the other side of the Kursk salient, reconnaissance activity is reported in the Byelgorod area. Yesterday the Red Army destroyed or disabled 129 tanks and 76 enemy aircraft were shot down. In Moscow the announcement of the Russian break through on the Orel front brought crowds into the public squares last night cheering the news in spite of heavy rain. The Moscow radio repeated over and over again the special Soviet communique announcing the offensive, followed each time by Red Army songs and marches. Reuter’s military commentator points out that the Russian success is a remarkable achievement, specially as the Russians have been able to stage a strong offensive practically during a German attack. “It shows," he says, “that they were able to hold the German attack with local reserves while they prepared the counterstroke. It is obvious that large numbers of tanks must have been held in reserve for the thrust; and this would tend to show that the German claims of vast destruction of Russian armour were grossly exaggerated. The blows have fallen where the Germans are strongest, and if the thrusts east and north of Orel should converge an important chunk would be pinched out of the German line.”

In the south the Russian troops are developing their initiative and are slowly but steadily pushing the Germans out' of the territory which they lost in the Byelgorod area in the first push of the German offensive. The Russian counter-attacks are gaining momentum, says the British United Press correspondent in Moscow. “Today, in the Byelgorod area, our troops repulsed enemy tank and infantry attacks,” said a Russian communique last night. A Moscow dispatch said that at one point north of Byelgorod 17 enemy tanks broke through the line, but struck a minefield and met heavy Russian artillery fire. Only three got back.

HITLER’S VAIN ORDER. Lieutenant Hans Frankenfeld, of the German Ninth Tank Division, who deserted to the Russians, said the German commanders, at dawn on July 5, before the German offensive opened, read an Order of the Day from Hitler, saying: “The offensive about to be launched must be decisive. The battle will be but it is the last battle for victorious Germany.” This is reported by the British United Press correspondent in Moscow. The Stockholm. correspondent of “The Times” says that German messages from the front emphasise the terrible weight of the Russian artillery fire in the Orel sector.

One report admits that the Russians are superior in artillery, and have apparently inexhaustible supplies of ammunition for guns of every calibre, including an astonishing number of the heaviest type. Another report says that a new typo of gun. unknown to the German army, has been in action on the Orel front with great effect. The British United Press military writer says that • the new Russian blow will have brought the Red Army within striking distance of the main north-south railway from Smolensk through Bryansk to Kharkov. In the two areas in which the Russians have advanced, they have occupied over 1000 square miles in three days. It is unlikely that any German position would be defended in depth as great as from 12 to 18 miles, which is the extent of the Russian advance east and north of Orel. The advance from east Orel may have brought the Russians to the outskirts of Orel itself. North of Orel they are now within 20 miles of Bryansk.

ONCE MORE AT FAULT CORPORAL HITLER'S INTUITION. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.45 a.m.) RUGBY, July 16. The fact that the Germans dared to take the offensive at all in Russia this summer has caused surprise in London. No doubt Hitler felt that he must do something for political, if not for military reasons. In any case, the German venture is regarded as bearing all the marks of the Corporal’s famous intuition. The strength of the Rusian defences evidently had been miscalculated, and the tank tactics of the early blitzkriegs failed. Such tactics were not employed by the Allies in North Africa, where infantry was used to clear the way for tanks with repeated success. the regime was concerned would satisfy them. President Roosevelt, however, assured the Pope that the rights of the Catholic Church would be respected and protected. This situation drove Mussolini back on to his fake, “fight to a finish” attitude, which does not correspond with the feelings of the bulk of the Italian people. Behind this screen of bluster it is expected that a further attempt will be made—between the time of the occupation of Sicily and the forthcoming attacks against Italy proper. These peace manoeuvres will be rejected unless they amount to unconditional surrender The Allies do not intend to permit any Fascist diplomatic gymnastics, aimed at preserving the regime, or at retaining the territory taken from neighbours.

4 IMPORTANT ENEMY BASTION IN NEW GUINEA 950 JAPANESE KILLED SUCCESSFUL ENVELOPMENT TACTICS. ALLIED TROOPS ADVANCING ON SALAMAUA. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) SYDNEY, July 16. Allied forces have captured Mubo, the important southern outpost of the enemy’s Salamaua defence system. Our troops are now pressing on to Komiatum, on the main trail from Mubo to Salamaua. The entire Mubo area, is now cleared of the enemy, who lost 950 killed. The Allied Josses are described as light. The official announcement of the fall of Mubo was made today in General MacArthur’s communique which said: “The Mubo bastion has been captured. American forces, after landing and consolidating their beachhead at Nassau Bay on June 30, moved inland up the valley of the Bitoi River, effecting a junction with the Australian units in the Buigap Creek at dusk on July 10. "This move, effected in complete secrecy, operated to cut the enemy’s line of communication between Mubo and Salamaua and isolate his garrison on Observation and Greens Hills.

“Following this enveloping move, and in co-ordination with attacks on elements in the rear areas, Australian forces attacked from Lababia Ridge and Garrison Hill and destroyed the enemy defences on Observation Hill, The Pimple and Greens Hill. Our ground forces have now cleared the Mubo area of all organised enemy resistance and are pressing on to Komiatum. Approximately 950 enemy troops were destroyed. Our losses were light.” It is considered probable that a large number of the Japanese defenders at Mubo were killed in the record aerial bombardment on July 7, when more than 50 Allied bombers dropped 106 tons of high explosives on the enemy ground positions in a terrific half-hour onslaught.

While no details of the final action have yet been reported, the successful outcome is a climax to long and arduous campaigning in extremely difficult country. For some months Australian troops had been fighting from positions around Mubo where an apparent stalemate situation had persisted. The official announcement of the clearing out of this enemy nest was accompanied today by a report of an attack by nine Japanese dive-bombers on Nassau Bay, and a further- attack by six bombers on Woody Island. Both raids were ineffective.

The Allied troops pressing on toward Komiatum have been supported by Boston attack planes, which bombed and strafed enemy installations around Orodubi.

45 ENEMY PLANES DESTROYED IN AIR BATTLE OVER RENDOVA. AT COST OF THREE ALLIED MACHINES.

(Special Australian Correspondent.) SYDNEY. July 16. The superiority held by the Allied Air Force in the Solomons area was clearly displayed yesterday when 45 Japanese planes were destroyed in a big air battle over Rendova. Only three Allied planes were lost. Enemy formations totalling between 80 and 90 aircraft were intercepted by fewer than 45 Allied fighters. The spokesman at the South Pacific headquarters, according to dispatches from America, has revealed that the Allies are holding a qualitative as well as a qualitative air superiority in the central Solomons. Our planes have been destroying Japanese machines at a ratio of better than eight to one. This is reported by war correspondents in the area. The spokesman added that the Japanese, by massing all the air strength they are known to have available in the South and SouthWest Pacific areas could probably attain numerical superiority at a given time and place, but, such efforts so far had proved extremely costly to the Japanese. In the past 14 days 211 enemy planes were destroyed in the Solomons. The stiffening resistance being encountered by American troops attacking Munda could be interpreted as meaning that a greater number of prepared strongpoints were being met rather than that the enemy garrison has been reinforced, added the spokesman.

SHORT & DEADLY CLASHES. Short, deadly clashes continue to mark the New Georgia fighting. Al Batuna, Vangunu Island, 150 Japanese were killed in brief skirmishes. The first of these occurred when two American tank lighters intercepted a landing barge carrying 250 enemy troops. In a hot exchange of fire the barge was sunk, and it is believed all the soldiers aboard perished. Troops ashore in the same area discovered two more enemy barges each carrying 50 soldiers'. The barges were in enclosed water up-river awaiting a chance to snegk to sea. All the enemy troops were either killed or drowned when their riddled barges sank under them. A war correspondent suggests that all these enemy troops were trying to escape from New Georgia. General MacArthur’s communique today reveals the loss of the destroyerGwin following the naval action in the Kula Gulf early on Tuesday morning. The Japanese lost one light cruiser, three destroyers sunk,- and two destroyers. probably sunk.