SOVIET BLOW

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21148, 16 July 1943, Page 3

SOVIET BLOW

OFFENSIVE BEGUN OREL FRONT PUSH

NAZI LINES BREACHED

DEFENCES TORN OPEN

(By Telegraph—Frees Assn.—Copyright.) (Noon.) LONDON. July IG. The Red Army has launched a counter-offensive in the Orel sector, breaking through the German lines on a 26-mile front. The oifensive has been proceeding for three days during which 12,000 Germans have been killed and 2000 taken prisoner. Russian planes on Tuesday night heavily bombed the railway junction at Orel. High explosive and incendiary bombs were dropped on concentrations of enemy trains and ammunition dumps. Many fires were started and these merged into a huge fire which enveloped the whole of the central part of the junction. Several big explosions were seen. All the Russian planes returned. A Russian communique says: "Today in Byelgorod area, our troops repulsed enemy tank and infantry attacks on the Orel-Kursk front. Our troops launched attacks against the enemy, who went over to the defensive.” The German and Italian radios admit that Soviet forces have breached the German lines in the Orel sector. The Russian change to the offensive follows 10 days in which the Russian salient at Kursk, below the Orel front, lias successfully held against attacks which are estimated to have cost the Germans 60,000 men. The new Russian offensive means that they have torn great gaps in the defences covering the Orel bastion.