THE KURSK OFFENSIVE

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 13, 15 July 1943, Page 5

THE KURSK OFFENSIVE

GERMAN SETBACKS

BREACHES ADMITTED

•LONDON, July 14.

Moscow reports heavy Russian coun-ter-attacks in the Byelgorod area, the southern flank of the Kursk salient. Tank reinforcements have been used, and the Germans have been thrown i back from a number of their forward positions in the wedgo they had driven into the Russian lines. The Germans have stated that {heir attacks had been stopped by heavy rain storms. The Germans also speak of Russian attacks east and north of Orel, and admit breaches in their defences, but there is no news of this from Moscow. The Germans in Russia have still1 been concentrating mainly on the Byelgorod area. All, yesterday they threw men. tanks, and guns into the assault time alter time, and probed the Red Army line for soft spots. The fighting v.-bs fiercest at the tip of the wedge, where a number of places changed hands during the day,' tout although the Germans made some progress, they failed to break through to open country. At one point, when the situation looked critical, Soviet troops relieved the pressure by launching a series of

counter-attacks at the base of the wedge. The Germans were forced to divert men and tanks from the.tip to deal with this counter-attack and the position was stabilised. At the northern end of the salient, in the Orel area, the German offensive has temporarily died down. The Nazi commander is regrouping his forces here after nine days of grim fighting in which he has gained nothing but heavy losses of men and machines. Moscow expects the attacks to be renewed soon.