BORDER FIGHTING

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 63, Issue 220, 28 June 1943, Page 3

BORDER FIGHTING

MANY INGENIOUS RUSES. DONETS RIVER WARFARE. GERMANS DRESS AS WOMEN. (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright.) (Roc. 12.45 p.m.) LONDON, June 27. The stabilisation of the RussianGerman front on long stretches of the northern Donets River has created a situation of border warfare with incidents reminiscent of the old tales of frontier fighting between the Cossacks and Tartar tribesmen, or of Croat defenders of the Danubian marshes against the T urks.

The Russians and Germans are each using ingenious ruses to pass scouts through the other’s lines. “Pravda’’ reports that the Germans are donning skirts, covering their heads and shoulders with shawls, and proceeding down to the river with buckets The Russians, where the Donets is sufficiently narrow, have been throwing grenades against these sham peasants. r J lie Russians have been busy scouting on the right bank for information for their artillery. Recent films show some tricks used, foe instance Tadjik soldiers drifting down-stream under inflated sheepskins, with all but their eyes submerged. There is occasional brisk mortar and machine-gun exchanges and light artillery duels. There are sometimes more serious engagements when the enemy tries to force the river with one or two battalions supported by tanks; but the front recently has been very quiet. To-day’s Finnish communique states that after heavy artillery preparation on Saturday the Russians attacked a strong-point near Rukajorvi, which the Finns, after strong resistance, abandoned. Finnish troops on Sunday morning counter-attacked and recaptured this strong-point. Russian attacks on the Karelian Isthmus were beaten off.