FIERCE FIGHT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 August 1943, Page 3

FIERCE FIGHT

ENEMY COUNTER-ATTACKS IN DEMENSK AREA

RUSSIAN THREAT TO RAILWAY CENTRES. PROGRESS IN THE UKRAINE. (By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright) LONDON. August 19. Moscow radio says that the Germans have switched reinforcements from other sectors and launched new coun-ter-attacks in a bid to hold the Russian offensive between Smolensk and Bryansk. The Russians, after very fierce and prolonged fighting on one sector south of Spas Demensk, gained favourable positions. The two Russian armies which bypassed Kharkov are still driving steadily deeper into the Ukraine, and are now threatening Sumy, to the north-west, and Poltava, 75 miles beyond Kharkov, says Reuter’s Moscow correspondent .These two centres control the main railways running from Kharkov to Kiev, the capital of the Ukraine, which has been in German hnds since the first year of the Rus-sian-German war. Reuter's correspondent says that the Germans’ artillery barrage in the Spas Demensk area has been intensified, and the enemy is mounting repeated i, counter-attacks. Moscow radio reported late tonight that the Red Army is approaching the Bryansk-Lgov railway in a double drive from the west and south-west. Correspondents tell of dashing actions which Cossack troops are performing in the swarnpy areas of rhe Bryansk sector. The Cossacks are particularly active to the east of the city between Karachev and Bryansk. The cavalry, moving through forest trails, suddenly appears round isolated Ger-man-occupied villages and proceeds to harry and subdue the occupants. Moscow radio announced that Soviet bombers made successful raids on the railway junctions at Bryansk and Roslavl, which is on the main railway from Bryansk to Smolensk. Other Soviet bombing attacks were made on German airfields, and a great number of grounded aircraft were destroyed or damaged. Troops and transports south and west of Kharkov were also bombed with heavy losses to the enemy. No Russian planes were lost.

GERMAN REPORT RUSSIAN BREAK THROUGH ADMITTED. BATTLE NEAR STARAYA RUSSA, LONDON, August 20. Increased Russian attacks soutn nf Byeloi (above Smolensk) and also south-west and south of Vyazma are reported by Berlin radio, which claims that all broke down with heavy Russian losses. Brussels radio quoted German military sources for a report that the Russians are continuing to attack in the Izyum area in the north of the Donetz bend, with undiminished vigour. “The Russians, hurling tanks and infantry against the German lines, managed to break through at a few points,” the radio said. Berlin radio has reported new Russian attacks of considerable size on the Leningrad front. Berlin radio’s commentator, Captain Sertorius, later declared that the Russian High Command has launched a long-prepared pincer attack against Staraya Russia. The Russian tanks rolled into action north and south of the "wn, and a vicious battle is proceeding.