FURTHER GAINS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 July 1943, Page 3

FURTHER GAINS

.MADE BY THE RUSSIANS IN OREL SALIENT BATTLES AGAINST STIFFENING RESISTANCE. DOMINATING HILL CAPTURED IN KUBAN AREA. LONDON, July 18. A Moscow communique states that the Russians today continued their offensive against the Orel salient and advanced two to three miles. Many German tanks and armoured cars and nearly 150 aircraft were destroyed yesterday. Earlier reports made it.clear that German resistance had stiffened considerably. Reinforcements of men and tanks have arrived and the enemy has counter-attacked repeatedly. Although the Germans have slowed down the Russian advance, there is nothing to suggest that they have stopped it. North of Orel, the Red Army is reported to be ten miles from the main road and railway from Briansk. East of Orel the Russians were last reported 15 miles away. They are fighting their way slowly forward. South of Orel the Russians have regained all the ground lost to the Germans in their recent offensive and are now threatening the Orel fortress from a new direction. An important. Russian success is reported also in the Kuban area —the capture of a dominating hill on the approaches to the Black Sea naval base of Novorossisk. The Germans made nine counter-attacks in an attempt to regain the hill, but were on every occasion beaten back with heavy losses.