LAST PHASE NEAR

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 24, 28 July 1943, Page 5

LAST PHASE NEAR

BATTLE OF OREL

SOLE ESCAPE MENACED (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright.) Rec. 1 p.m. LONDON, July 27. It was. fuHy expected in Moscow that the Russians would cut the Germans' last route of retreat from Orel tonight, says the United Press correspondent in Moscow. The sole remaining passage left to the Germans is a narrow dirt road from Orel through Fatezh to Kursk, and Russian spearheads are expected to reach the road at a point forty miles south-west of Orel. The correspondent adds that there is another "Stalingrad" in the offing for the 250,000 Germans at Orel. With the Russians consolidating a strong bridgehead along the west bank of the Oka River, which runs northeast from Orel, and with Russian forces rushing up from the south, the Red Army is expected to begin the assault against Orel itself at -ny time. • Reuters Moscow correspondent says that in pouring rain, which has converted the whole fighting area into a swamp, eight Russian armies are now closing in against Orel. They are battering their way along two highways, three railways, and three river valleys. The fiercest fighting in the past forty-eight hours has been due south of Bolkhov, where the Germans have been counter-attacking in regimental strength. Berlin radio stated tonight: "The Russians south of Orel are hurling in vastly superior tank forces and after stubborn resistance by a Silesian division, succeeded in pushing through the German lines." Rec. 11 a.m. RUGBY, July 27. A Russian communique states: "Our troops advanced from two and a half to four miles in the Orel area and occupied over fifty localities. In the direction of Byelgorod and also on the Leningrad front the Russians improved their positions, and there was intensified reconnaissance activity in the Donets Basin. On all fronts on Monday and Tuesday Russians destroyed or disabled 90 tanks, and in air fights and by anti-aircraft fire 44 German planes were shot- down." — 8.0. W.