GERMAN CLAIM

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 20825, 2 July 1942, Page 3

GERMAN CLAIM

FALL OF SEBASTOPOL UNBELIEVABLE DEFENCE STORY OF RESISTANCE" (Noon.) LONDON, July 1. The Germans to-day claim to have completed the capture of Sebastopol. At least six new German regiments were thrown into the Sebastopol battle on Monday and effected a slight advance. The Izvestia states that the Germans lost several thousand men and advanced only in one sector, where the Russians are now counterattacking. A German communique claims that German divisions moving from the north passed Severnaya Bay, near Sebastopol, and penetrated the inner fortifications eastwards of the town. The German radio, quoting a frontline reporter, said: “Fort Maxim Gorki, in the Sebastopol perimeter, is still fighting on, although captured by the Germans. It sounds unbelievable, but it is. true. The upper storeys of the fort are in our hands. The battle line moved 1400yds forward, but the Soviet soldiers in the lower storeys, deep underground, continue to resist and will not listen to negotiators 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 we cannot reach the remainder. “Fort Maxim Gorki, like the others already captured—Forts Stalin, Molotov and Lenin —surpassed Verdun’s strongest in the last war. We have not previously seen such armour-plate, such concrete walls, and, above all, such concrete, which is quite new to us. Fort Maxim Gorki’s 13in. guns continued to blast away after our shock units and also the storming guns were within close range. They fired on at a range of 500yds. “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 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 makes Verdun look like child’s play. We still have to deal with other forts.”