BURIED TANKS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 December 1943, Page 4

BURIED TANKS

USED BY THE GERMANS IN RUSSIA ONLY TURRETS ABOVE GROUND FULL-POWERED WINTER OFFENSIVE PREDICTED BY THE MOSCOW RADIO [By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright) (Received This Day, 12.40 p.m.) LONDON, December 15. The Germans in the Radomysl area have developed new tank tac- a tics, says the British United Press Moscow correspondent. They attack with z portion of their tank strength, a proportion of which is buried in their front lines. Only well-camouflaged turrets protrude above the ground and the buried tanks go into action when the Russians counter-attack. The Germans so far have found this method of stiffening their line most effective. The Germans in this area are also using tanks off the main roads at night, in an attempt to pass through the first Russian outposts undiscovered. In addition they are using small tank units which attempt to decoy Russian tank groups within range of the buried tanks. The Russians are countering these tactics by reconnaissance before coun-ter-attacking. The Moscow radio, broadcasting to the 'Red Army, declared: “The winter will see a Russian offensive larger than every before/’ Tonight’s Soviet communique states that the Russians today continued their successful offensive south-east and south of Cherkasy and captured several large inhabited localities, including the Belozeri railway station, five miles north-east’of Smyela. The Russians in the Kirovgrad direction continued their offensive and improved their positions. The Red Army south of Malin dislodged the enemy from a number of inhabited localities. GOOD NEWS FROM THE DNIEPER BEND. DESTRUCTION OF ENEMY TANKS. LONDON, December 15. A Moscow communique gives good news frem the Dnieper Bend and the Kiev bulge. The Germans report increased Soviet pressure in White Russia. In the Dnieper bend, the communique states that the Russian forces from Cherkasy and Kremenchug have linked up. The Red Army south and south-east of Cherkasy has kept up its successful attacks and has occupied 17 towns and a railway station four miles north of Smyela. West of Kiev, Soviet forces have beaten off enemy attacks and improved their positions. South of Malin, the Red Army has dispersed the enemy from several villages. The Germans are again using tanks on a big scale. Incomplete figures show that yesterday, on all fronts, the Germans lost 108 tanks. Monday’s figure was 44.