COSTLY FIGHTING

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21142, 9 July 1943, Page 3

COSTLY FIGHTING

BIG AIRJ3ATTLES SOVIET SUPERIORITY

CERMANS NOT EXHAUSTED (By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright.) LONDON, July 7. The Germans, after 48 hours of fierce and costly fighting, are still unable to breach the Russian lines. Reuter’s correspondent in Moscow says that the fighting thus far from the Russian viewpoint can be called satisfactory. Three points are outstanding, firstly, the Germans have failed so far to establish air supremacy; secondly, they have failed to achieve a major break-through; and, thirdly, the German Tiger tanks have had no startling success; also the Russian army meeting the impact of the new offensive has shown itself to be powerful, resolute, and effective. Some ground in the Byelgorod area .had to be conceded; in fact, great numerical superiority was concentrated in the Panzer and Luftwaffe “fist.” However, the two townships the Germans managed to take at a cost of 100 tanks mark no great advance in miles and do not seriously weaken the general defence position. Moreover, the Russians, counterattacking, partially restored the position.

The Germans on the Orel-Kursk front, . having achieved practically nothing yesterday, regrouped to-day and attacked in great force with tanks heading the assault. The Russian gunfire in this area was terrific. German tanks and infantry, before making contact with the Russians, were both effectively shelled. The Germans, in an attempt to silence the Russian batteries, threw in a greater force of dive-bombers. A large force of German infantry, headed by tanks, after the failure of frontal atacks, attempted an outflanking movement. This force was itself outflanked and driven into a minefield. It lost 31 tanks and 600 men, whereupon the thrust was abandoned. Tanks Turned Back Despite their losses of tanks, planes, and men, the Germans are still far from exhausted. The Russian command expects the Germans to keep up the attacks uninterruptedly for at least two or three days, or longer, even if the losses continue at the present rate. Moscow reports say that the Germans lost 1271 tanks and over 400 planes. It is obvious, says Reuter’s correspondent, that the Germans are pinning much faith in the Mark VI Tiger tanks, which they are using in great numbers. These tanks are going into action accompanied by mobile field-guns. German prisoners admitted that the tanks were forced to turn back when they were caught in the concentrated anti-tank and mortar fire. The British United Press’ correspondent in Moscow.says that the air battle parallels the land battle in intensity. The Germans have thrown in large numbers of new divebombers but have failed to achieve air superiority. Several German pilots shot down by the Russians revealed that they were from a Luftwaffe divebomber squadron which recently arrived in Russia from Yugoslavia. The Lutfwaffe is throwing in increasing numbers of planes, emulating the American method of close formation bombing in order to protect the bombers from the devastating blows of the Russian Air Force. The Germans are not assigning any part of the fighter force to block the Soviet aerodromes in an attempt to drive the Russian fighters from the sky. Great Weight of Armour

Although the Germans in the Orel and Kursk areas are throwing in a great weight of armour, the Russian artillery as well as the air force is chewing the tanks and Panzers to pieces, adds the correspondent. One of the main reasons for the German failure to achieve any decisive success thus far is that tjiey are unable to push the infantry into the slight breaches in the Russian lines to exploit' the successes of their armour. Another factor is that the Russians have found a means of dealing with the giant Tiger tanks. What it is cannot be revealed, but it is apparently effective. A large number of these 60-ton monsters have been destroyed.

The intensity of the German attacks in the Orel-Kursk sector can be judged from the fact that one Russian unit in one day repulsed 16 attacks. The Russians at nightfall were still in possession of their original positions and the battleground was strewn with German bodies and tanks. Reports from all the main sectors conI firm that the German attack is undiminished. The Berlin radio stated: “No doubt the battle has not yet reached a climax.” The radio added that the Russians were using completely new types of tanks of Russian, British, and American make. Moscow observers issue a warning that it is still too early to form a final judgment on the offensive. They point out that Field Marshal Gunther von Kluge, commanding the German armies, may have surprises in store. “Beast Not Yet Dead” The Pravda says: “The Fascist beast, although tired out as a result of two years of struggle against Russia, is not, yet dead and still retains its strength. Stalingrad and Tunis may act like stings, exasperating the beast to some desperate undertaking with all the forces at its command. M. Stalin has warned us that bitter fighting lies ahead. It will need tremendous staying power and a straining of efforts and resources to bring the Allies’ task to a victorious conclusion.”

Germany still declines to admit that she has opened an offensive on the central front. “It is not our offensive,” sums up the German attitude to the Orel-Kursk-Byelgorod fight. “It is all a mistake,” said a German military spokesman, The Russians mistook a local German attack for an allout offensive and themselves launched an enormous counter-attack from which the present heavy and everspreading fighting developed.”

One London comment is that the German object is to secure an alibi for themselves in case the offensive fails. They will then be able to claim that the real objective was achieved, namely, the disrupting of a big Russian offensive.

To-day’s German communique states: “Heavy attacks by strong German and Russian forces concentrated in the Byelgorod area and also sbuth of Orel again failed yesterday, when our troops, on the other hand, with effective Luftwaffe support, went over to the offensive and succeeded in deeply penetrating the Russian positions, inflicting the heaviest losses.”