GREAT LOSSES

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 63, Issue 229, 8 July 1943, Page 3

GREAT LOSSES

j- FEW GAINS BY ENEMY. THE KURSK SALIENT BATTLE. CONTINUED WITH UXDTMIXLSHED FURY. | (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright.) ! LONDON, July 7. The battle for. the Kursk salient continues with undiminished fury, both on the ground and in the air. Yesterday was another day of tremendous German losses, with little gain for the enemy. The Germans are making two drives. They are pressing .south-east from Orel, 1 and north-east from Byelgorod. Kursk is roughly midway between the two points. The Russians have managed to limit the Gormans’ progress. The Russian High Command is now issuing only one communique a day, and there has been no official news since last night’s communique was issued. This-reported the repulse of all enemy attacks except in the Byelgorod sector, where insignificant gains were made at two points for high losses. Unofficial reports since then say that the Rod Army is fighting back fiercely and that there has been no general break-through. Last night’s Russian communique said: “To-day our troops continued to wage stubborn fighting against large enemy panzer, and infantry forces on the Orel, Kursk and Byelgorod sectors. The enemy troops were supported by large numbers of aircraft. On the Orel-Kursk sector, all enemy attacks were repulsed with heavy losses. On the Byelgorod sector the enemy succeeded at the price of high losses in achieving at some places insignificant successes. According to incomplete figures, 438 German tanks were destroyed or disabled during the day. In aerial engagements and by anti-air-craft batteries, 111 enemy planes were •shot down. Twenty-two German airmen have been made prisoner.’’ A supplement to the communique savs: “In the Orel-Kursk direction a

Soviet formation for the second day repelled incessant attacks by German tanks and infantry. Our troops are firmly holding their positions. In the attack against the positions held by this formation, the Germans, after an artillery preparation, threw into battle 400 tanks. “In the 'course of the battle our artillery, infantry, and tank-busters destroyed or damaged 110 tanks and wiped out more than 3000 troops.

“On other sectors in the same direction all enemy attempts to break through our first lino of defence failed.

“The Soviet troops are showing stubbornness and heroism. , “In the Byelgorocl direction the Germans renewed their attacks from this morning. Our troops, by powerful fire from all types of arms, repelled the enemy to his initial position. In lie latter half of the day the enemy brought up large tank forces and .renewed Iris attacks. Morn than 200 German tanks were destroyed. At one place, at the price of high losses, the Germans succeeded in occupying two localities. A further German advance lias been stopped by Soviet troops, in spite of all the enemy attacks. In the evening the fighting continued.” The Germans are protecting their flank with a third but much smaller offensive at Mtsensk, north-cast of Orel. This drive made some progress, but Russian forces counter-attack, and Moscow claims that the position has been restored. “The results of the first two days' fighting on the central front cannot he regarded as decisive.” says Reuter’s Moscow correspondent. “The Germans have made no large-scale breakthrough, although they hold all the advantages of a superior force concentrated at one point. “The double Gorman thrust against the Kursk bulge extends in a giant semi circle with a radius of 50 miles, centred on Kursk. The Kursk-Oiel sector lies somewhere between two railways: the first from Lgov to Bryansk, and the second from Kursk to Orel, part of which is in Russian and part in German hands. “The Germans arc trying to protect their left linnk by launching secondary attacks south-west of Mtsensk, where probing has been going on for months. “The attack on the southern. (Byolgorod) sector is developing along a 40mile front. The German thrust at; one point was strong enough to capture two villages, but these were subsequently recaptured by the Russians. “The sky is full of Russian fighters, including the latest model Yak VII, which has played havoc with successive waves of dive-bombers. “The Russian defences were considerably strengthened during the lull, and are generally more powerful than

they were last year,” adds Renter. The Moscow correspondent, of the British United Press says: “The toll the Germans have suffered so far is the heaviest they have had in any initial engagement of the war. The Germans to noon yesterday had lost over 750 planes and 10,000 men.” (Official Russian figures give the German plane losses at 014 and tank losses as 1000 in two days’ fighting.) Russian sources estimate that 10,000 Germans fell on the first day of fighting. and thousands more have fallen since. The enemy is using the method of mass frontal attack in his attemnt to break through the great salient, 50 miles deep, and 150 miles wide, which guards the fortress of Kursk. The Germans have been pouring in thousands of infantry and tommy-gunners, supported hv tanks. Moscow reports say that the Gormans did not bother to clear the Russian minefields as they advanced, and this accounted for their very heavy losses in tanks. The Germans still say they have not opened an offensive. The Berlin radio described the reports of the new German offensive as nonsense.