NOT EXHAUSTED

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 63, Issue 229, 8 July 1943, Page 4

NOT EXHAUSTED

THE GERMAN ATTACKERS. MORE ONSLAUGHTS EXPECTED. EMPLOYMENT OF TIGER TANKS. (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright.) (Rec. 11.45 a.m.) LONDON, July 7. In spite of their losses of tanks planes and men the Germans are still far from exhausted. The Russian Command expects the Germans to keep up attacks uninterruptedly for at least two or three days and longer, even if losses continue at the present rate. A Moscow report says the Germans have lost 1271 tanks and over 400 planes. It is obvious says Reuter’s Moscow correspondent, that the Germans are pinning much faith in the Mark VI Tiger tanks, which they are using in great numbers; These tanks are going into action accompanied by mobile field guns. German prisoners admitted that the tanks were forced to turn back when caught in concentrated anti-tank and mortar fire. The Moscow correspondent of the British United Press says the air battle parallels the land battle in intensity. The Germans have thrown in a large number of new dive-bombers, but failed to achieve air superiority. Several German pilots shot down by the Russians revealed that they were from the Luftwaffe dive-bomber squadron which recently arrived in Russia from Yugoslavia.

The Luftwaffe is throwing in increasing numbers of planes, emulating the American method of close formation bombing, to protect the bombers from the devastating blows of the Russian Air Force. The Germans are not assigning any part of the fighter force to block the Soviet aerodromes in an attempt to drive the Russian fighters from the sky. Effective Russian Artillery. Although the Germans in the- Orel and Kursk areas are throwing in a great weight of armour, the Russian artillery, as well as the air force, is chewing the tanks and panzers to -pieces, adds the British United Press correspondent. One of the main reasons for the German failure to achieve any decisive success so far is that they are unable to push infantry into slight breaches in the Russian lines to exploit the successes of their armour. Another factor is that the Russians have found a means of dealing with the giant Tiger tanks. What it is cam not be revealed, but it is apparently effective. A large number of these 60-ton monsters have been destroyed. The intensity of the German attacks in the Orel-Kursk sector can be judged from the fact that one- Russian unit in one day repulsed 16 attacks. The Russians at nightfall were still in possession of their original positions and the battleground was strewn with German bodies and tanks. Reports from all main sectors confirm that the German attack is undiminished. The Berlin radio stated: “No doubt the battle has not yet reached its climax.” The radio added that the Russians were using completely new types of tanks of Russian, British and American make.

No Final Judgment. Moscow observers warn that, it is still too early to form a final judgment on the offensive. They point out that Marshal Gunther and von Kluke, commanding the German armies, may have surprises in store. “Pravda” says: “The Fascist beast, although tired out as a result of two years’ struggle against Russia, is not yet dead and still retains its strength, Stalingrad and Tunis may act like stings exasperating the beast to some desperate undertakings with all. the forces at its command. Stalin has warned us that bitter fighting lies ahead. Iti will need tremendous staying power and straining of our efforts and resources to bring the Allies’ task to a victorious conclusion.” “Germany still declines to admit she opened! ym offensive on the central front. “It is not our offensive,” sums up the German attitude. “The Orel-Kursk-Byclgorod fight is all a mistake,” said a German military spokesman. The Russians mistook a local German attack for an all-out offensive, and themselves launched an enormous counter-attack, from which the present heavy and ever-spreading fighting developed. One London comment is that the German object is to secure an .alibi for themselves in case the offensive fails. They will then he able to claim that their real objective was achieved, namely, disrupting the big Russian offensive. To-day’s German communique states: “Heavy attacks by strong German .and Russian forces concentrated in the Byelgorod area,, also south of Old, again failed yesterday. Our troops, on the other hand, with eliectlve Luftwaffe support, went over to the offensive and succeeded in deeply penetrating the Russian positions and inflicting the heaviest losses.”