RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 June 1943, Page 5

RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE

GUERRILLAS’ ACTIVITY

AERIAL RAIDS CONTINUED

LONDON, June 10. Blow and counter-blow in the air remain the chief feature of the Eastern front fighting. Both sides smee the Germans on June 6 started with a mass raid on Kursk and the Russians replied with heavy air attacks against the rail junctions of Orel, Bryansk and Karachev, have been concentrated on doing as much damage as possible from the air to the enemy’s transport systems and supply depots. The Germans in the latest raid of this nature against Yaroslavl claim that - 500 tons of bombs were dropped there, mainly on a synthetic rubber work’s. The Russians say that last night a group of enemy aircraft attempted to raid Yaroslavl. A few enemy aeroplanes penetrated the barrage and dropped bombs at random on dwelling houses. The fires were quickly extinguished. There were some casualties among the civilian population. Five German bombers were shot down by anti-aircraft defences and fighter aeroplanes. The Soviet Air Force suffered no losses. The Moscow radio announced that last night a large force of Soviet long-range aircraft dealt a powerful blow against five enemy aerodromes. A large number of enemy aircraft were destroyed or damaged, and, fires and explosions were seen in areas near enemy ammunition and fuel dumps. All the Soviet aeroplanes returned to their bases. > “The Times’s” Moscow correspondent says that the heaviest recent land fighting occurred in the frontline Orel Province, where violent battles were fought between partisan detachments and an enemy punitive force using a substantial number of infantry, tanks and armoured cars. Guerrillas have never been cleared from the Orel and Bryansk regions, although the Hungarian Expeditionary Force in 1942 was very active against them. The Soviet Information Burgau reports that Russian guerrillas in the Orel region, in a battle lasting several days, wiped out more than a battalion of German infantry. The Germans threw in infantry, tanks, guns and armoured cars, but the guerrillas smashed the Germans by surprise blows. Two other guerrilla parties routed the garrisons of two important inhabited localities, killed over 1000, and took prisoners and booty. It is .authoritatively stated that Oraniebaum has always been held by the Russians, who have maintained a bridgehead there.

SEVEN GERMAN LOSSES

RUGBY, June 11

The Moscow radio reports from an (unspecified sector of the front that German bombers attempted to raid an important target. One group of enemy planes dropped flares and another attempted to silence the Soviet AA batteries, while a third attempted to break throtigh and bomb the target. Seven German bombers were -.shot down. The target did not suffer serious damage. PRISONERS RELEASED.

LONDON, June 11

Four hundred Russian war prisoners were released when the Allies took Tunis. The Red Army soldiers were mostly specialists and technicians whom the Germans had brought to Tunisia four months ago to carry out special work. The prisoners 'crossed Germany and stayed some time in Italy. COMINTERN DISSOLVED. LONDON. June 10. Moscow has announced that the Comintern has been dissolved.