MAKING PROGRESS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 August 1943, Page 3

MAKING PROGRESS

IN SPITE OF FIERCE RESISTANCE RUSSIANS IN THE KHARKOV BATTLE. GAINS ON OTHER FRONTS. LONDON, August 22. Soviet troops have recaptured 30 more places in the Kharkov region and made advances ranging from three Io four miles, in spite of numerous German counter-attacks. Further north, in its drive on Bryansk, the Red Army has kept up the battle to improve its positions. On the Donetz front, where the Germans admit that the Russian troops have broken through, the Russians state that their troops fought successful local battles south of Iszum and south-west of Voroshilovgrad. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says the most difficult stage of the whole Russian offensive has now been reached, along the entire front from Smolensk to Kharkov. There is increasing German resistance on all sectors by reinforcements which the Germans are bringing up. Kharkov is still proving a hard nut to crack. The Germans are getting fresh troops up on the two remaining railway lines left to them. ENEMY LOSSES DURING SUMMER FIGHTING. SOVIET GIVES FIGURES. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, August 21. A special Soviet communique states: “During the summer fighting from June 5 to August 20 the Russians on all sectors of the front destroyed 4600 planes, 6400 tanks, 3800 guns and more than 20,000 motor-vehicles. “The enemy lost more than 300,000 killed. Taking into account that in the German army the number of wounded is from two to two and a half times the number killed, it may be presumed that the number killed and wounded for the same period is not fewer than 1,000,000. “During the same period the Russians captured 857 tanks, 1274 guns of various calibres, and 3429 machineguns. Germans taken prisoner numbered 25.600.” 187 TANKS AND FIFTY-THREE AIRCRAFT. DESTROYED BY RUSSIANS ON SATURDAY. ' (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.35 a.m.) RUGBY, August 22. A Soviet communique states: “On Saturday Soviet troops in all sectors destroyed or damaged 187 tanks and 53 planes were shot down in aerial fights or by antiaircraft fire.” HEROIC STALINGRAD CITY RISING AGAIN FROM RUINS. AMERICAN AMBASSADOR'S VISIT. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, August 21. The Moscow radio says that Admiral Standley, United States Ambassador to Russia, yesterday made a one-day flying visit to Stalingrad. He told correspondents that rebuilding was going full blast. The Mayor said the town already had 200,000 inhabitants, and they were all helping. The railway and part of a tractor plant were in operation. Street cars were expected to run within a month. The population was living in tents, dugouts and other temporary shelters. Admiral Standley saw the remains of about 4000 enemy aircraft and 1000 tanks, which will be reassembled in Stalingrad factories. PEACE DEMAND WELL SUPPORTED IN FINLAND. STOCKHOLM, August 21. A petition demanding immediate peace with the Soviet Union was presented to President Ryti by about 50 Finnish politicians, says the “Dagens Nyheter.”