SEBASTOPOL’S FATE

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 July 1942, Page 6

SEBASTOPOL’S FATE

GERMANS CLAIM CAPTURE “VERDUN AS CHILD’S PLAY” “London, July i. Russian reports say that the Germans are shelling and bombing Sebastopol incessantly. The defenders are still holding on grimly. . A German communique claimed yesterday that German divisions moving from the north passed Severmaya !Bay, near Sebastopol, and penetrated I the inner fortifications east of the [town. _ . , At least six new German regiments I were thrown into the Sebastopol batjtle on Monday, and effected a slight advance. “Izvestia” says that the Germans lost several thousand men and advanced only on one sector where the Russians are now counter-attack-ing. The German radio, quoting a front line reporter, said: “Fort Maxim Gorki in the Sebastopol perimeter is stiff fighting on, although captured by the Germans. It sounds unbelievable, but it is true. The upper storeys of the fort are in our hands and the battle line has moved 1400 yards forward but Soviet soldiers in the lower storeys deep underground continue to resist and will not listen to negotiations sent to explain to them that further resistance is useless. We blasted several hundred men from the upper storeys by hurling grenades and explosives through the apertures, but iwe cannot reach the remainder.” I “Fort Maxim Gorki, like others already captured —the Stalin, Molotov, and Lenin forts—surpassed Verdun’s strongest fort in the last war. We had not previously seen such armourplate and such concrete walls, and above all such concrete, which was quite new to us. Fort Maxim Gorki’s 13inch guns continued to blast away after our shock units and also storming guns were within close range. They fired on us at a range of 500 yards. “This is the first time in military history that such heavy guns have been used for such close range shelling. The air pressure alone from two shells fired simultaneously at such a range is enough to blow to pieces anything in the neighbourhood. Divebombers plastered the fort, making craters which would take a whole house. Still the fort held out. Storming Sebastopol’s forts make Verdun look like child’s play. We still have to deal with other forts.” GERMAN AERIAL STRENGTH.

(Rec. 12.40 p.m.) LONDON, July 1. A special announcement from Hitler’s headquarters states: Sebastopol has fallen. German and Rumanian war flags are flying over the town and harbour.

The earlier ordinary German communique reported that the breach in the inner fortifications of Sebastopol had been enlarged, to break through in several places. German troops, supported by the Luftwaffe, advanceci to defend the positions east of the town. Rumanian troops captured the town and the harbour of Balaclava. The Moscow newspaper “Pravda” said: From dawn yesterday until this afternoon, the Luftwaffe made over a thousand sorties over Sebastopol and advanced positions. Moscow radio declared that since the outbreak Russian guerrillas have killed' 150,000 Germans.

BATTLE OF KURSK

LONDON, July I

“After the Russians had halted the first German thrust on the Kursk front the enemy renewed his drive, the progress of which cannot yet be reported,” says the Stockholm correspondent of “The Times.” “The initial operations do not appear to be as heavy as the Donets-Oskol thrust, but they could develop quickly, both sides having accumulated a huge mass of troops. German progress has exacted such an expenditure of materials and men between Kharkov and the Donets Basin that preparation will be required before a further move, but the pause is expected to be short.” The first account of the battle on the Kursk front has been published by “Red Star,” which admits that superior numbers of Germans drove an armoured fist through the Russian lines, but says that the Red Army cut off the enemy infantry from their tanks and continued to repulse the German attacks. VON BOCK’S PROGRESS LONDON, July 1. The Vichy Official News Agency publishes a despatch from the Russian front which stated: During the past twenty-four hours. Marshal von Bock’s forces have reached a point twenty-three miles westward of Yenikale. Attempted German landings near Berdyansk and near Mariupol on the Azov Sea coast have been repelled by coastal artillery. ON OTHER FRONTS. LONDON. July 1. Speaking of the fighting in the Kharkov sector, the 8.8. C. observer in Moscow (Mr. Paul Winterton) says that the Germans have made little progress round Kupyansk, where the fighting is now on a much smaller scale.

Although the Russians report little other activity, over the whole of the eastern front-there are indications of more livelv developments. Reconnaissances in force are sometimes almost armoured probing attacks, specially between the Orel and Leningrad sectors.

The Russians on the Volkhov front, near Leningrad, have massed a tremendous quantity of artillery. Berlin refers to its “drumfire intensity.” The Russians admit that 10,000 have been killed in this sector in the last few weeks. They say the enemy’s losses are certainly greater, which gives an idea of the magnitude of the preliminary fighting, and also of the sort of operations that can be expected in the fight for Leningrad. The Official German News Agency announces that Hitler has promoted Colonel-General von Kuechler, com-

mander-in-chief, of the German armies in the Volkhov sector, to fieldmarshal, “in grateful recognition. of his services in the defence against and destruction of the Russian armies brought up on a broad front for the relief of Leningrad.” GERMANSMUTINY. ANKARA, July 1. One thousand German soldiers who refused further to participate in the war, were arrested by the Gestapo and imprisoned in the Sofia central prison.