HEAVY RUSSIAN RAIDS

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23973, 14 June 1943, Page 5

HEAVY RUSSIAN RAIDS

German Airfields Attacked NO CHANGES ON LAND (N.Z. Press Association— Copyright) (Rec. 11 p.m.) LONDON. June 13. A special Soviet communique says: “On Friday night large Russian'ailforces dealt powerful blows against enemy aerodromes, dropping more than 600 tons of high explosives and incendiaries on aerodromes, aeroplanes, hangars, and ammunition and fuel dumps. “A large number of enemy aeroplanes were destroyed or damaged. More than 100 fires broke out, followed by very heavy explosions. Three Russian aeroplanes are missing.” The Moscow radio reports that 700 Soviet aircraft attacked enemy aerodromes on Thursday night, destroying or damaging at least 150 German aeroplanes. Ten other enemy aeroplanes were shot down in air combat over aerodromes. Ammunition and fuel dumps were also bombed and set on fire. Nineteen Russian aeroplanes did not return. The Germans report that these attacks were made in the central zone. On the same night the Germans lost nine machines when they attempted to raid an industrial centre 270 miles east of Moscow. During daylight on Thursday the Red Air Force destroyed 60 enemy trucks carrying troops and supplies to various parts of the front. The Moscow radio reports that on an unspecified sector of the front German bombers attempted to raid an important target. One group of enemy aeroplanes dropped flares, another attempted to silence Soviet antiaircraft batteries, and a third attempted to break through and, bomb the target. Seven German bombers were shot down. The target did not suffer serious damage. Land Operations This morning’s Russian communique again reports no important change on the land front. An earlier Russian communique said: “The enemy west of Rostov attacked several limes, but was thrown back. “The Germans in the Lisitichansk area, on the Donets, attempted to breach our forward positions. Machinegun fire compelled the enemy to withdraw. "The Germans, under cover of a smokescreen, attempted to cross the northern Donets, but the bulk of the force was killed or drowned. “Russian aeroplanes in the Gulf of Finland sank an enemy patrol cutter and an enemy transport. There was local activity on the central front, the Kalinin front, and on the Leningrad front, where eight 'German aeroplanes were shot down in combat. The town the Germans attempted to raid last night was Gorky,” A Berlin communique says: “Fighting flared up on the eastern front on Friday. There was shock troop activity on the Kuban and Mius fronts. The Russians in the Orel sector attacked after strong artillery preparation, but were driven back.”