FIGHTING FORWARD

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 30, 4 August 1943, Page 5

FIGHTING FORWARD

WHY GAINS HAVE BEEN SLOW Rec. 12.30 p.m. LONDON, August 3. With their capture of Stish, the last station before Orel on the railway from Kursk, and of Znamenskaya, north of Orel, the Russians have considerably widened the bridgeheads south and north of the city. From Znamenskaya they are now able to strike south-west towards the Orel-Bryansk railway.

The Germans defended Znamenskaya stubbornly. They evidently hoped to hold the area much longer, having large supplies there, which the Russians captured. . The Russians are now threatening the Baklanovaya position, which the Germans hold, 18 miles north-west of Orel. The "Red Star" says that Znamenskaya was captured by surprise. The Russian attack was so strong that the Germans suffered heavy lossess and were swept out of the town so hurriedly that they abandoned a great number of weapons and large supplies of ammunition. The Russians counter-attacked the Germans south-west of Voroshilovgrad yesterday and inflicted severe losses. The Russian are firmly holding the poition they originally captured on the Mius River.

According to Vichy radio, the Russians launched attacks north of Novorossisk and at other points along the Sea of Azov. Berlin radio reported that the Russians are massing fresh forces in the Byelgorod area as well as south of Lake Ladoga.

"ELASTIC" DEFENCE

The Germans are still emphasising the elasticity of their defence system as more advantageous at the present stage than gaining or even holding ground, but the Stockholm correspondent of "The Times" says that talk about elasticity in the Orel area is sheer rubbish. The way the Orel battle is going at present shows clearly that the Germans cannot beat the Russians here by attrition if they persist to exhaustion. The Germans have hitherto fought to the utmost for every point, yielding nothing voluntarily. Moscow radio explained last night why a decisive blow against Orel has not yet been struck, despite the continuous Russian advances and the heavy losses inflicted on the Germans. "Our" forces within ten miles of Orel form a semi-circle north, east, and south of the town. Between the extremities of the semi-circle the Germans have strongly fortified defences and are using a new type of mobile gun which allows them to make quick movements from one place to another. They are also constantly attacking with fresh forces, which they bring up from other sectors in the rear. "There is also difficult marshland, caused by rains and flooded rivers. These obstacles which the Red Army has to overcome are preventing our fortes from speeding up the final decisive blow. Nevertheless, by incessant attacks, we are still pushing ahead."

BRANDING OF PRISONERS

MOSCOW,' August" 3.

"Pravda" has published a German order for the branding of all Russian prisoners in Poland and the Ukraine with an .inverted "V."

The newspaper added that the order specified that the "V" brand should be made in a manner not preventing the prisoners from continuing, work.