AXIS LOSS GROWS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21143, 10 July 1943, Page 3

AXIS LOSS GROWS

1843 TANKS, 810 PLANES REDS REGAIN GROUND (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, July 8. In four days of fighting in the Orel-Kursk-Byelgorocl area, the Germans have lost 1843 tanks and 810 planes. A Russian communique states: “Our forces in this area continue to fight stubborn actions against large enemy infantry and tank forces. As on the previous days, the German offensive was supported by a large number of aircraft. Heavy aerial engagements l took place throughout the whole day. In the Orel-Kursk direction, all the enemy attacks were repulsed and our troops, by successful counter-attacks, dislodged the enemy from a number of points occupied on the first day. Our troops improved their position. “In the Byelgorod direction, a group of enemy tanks succeeded in driving a wedge into our positions. During the day our troops destroyed or damaged 304 enemy tanks and 161 enemy planes were brought down by fighters and anti-aircraft fire.” A supplement to the communique states: "In the area of one locality in the Orel-Kursk direction, the Germans threw into the battle on a narrow sector three tank and three infantry divisions. Units of one Red Army formation repelled 13 fierce enemy attacks, one immediately following the other, and did not retreat a single step. In these fruitless attacks, the enemy lost over 5000 officers and men, 120 tanks, 33 guns, 150 machine-guns, and 210 lorries.”