SOVIET OFFENSIVE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21149, 17 July 1943, Page 3

SOVIET OFFENSIVE

OREL FRONT PUSH NAZI LINES BREACHED DEFENCES TORN OPEN (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, July 15. A Soviet communique announces a counter-offensive on the Orel-Kursk front as well as an offensive north and east of Orel.

“A few days ago Soviet troops north and east of the city of Orel, after a number of counter-attacks, went over to the offensive which began from two directions—from the area north of Orel in a southern direction and from the area east of Orel in a westerly direction. North of Orel Soviet troops broke through a strongly fortified enemy defence zone and broke the enemy’s front on a width of 25 miles. In three .days of intense fighting, our troops have advanced 28 miles and demolished numerous enemy strongholds and key defence points. Our troops in this direction occupied 50 localities. “East of Orel our troops broke a strongly fortified enemy defence zone 19 miles wide and, overcoming stubborn resistance, advanced 12 to 15 miles, occupying 60 localities. In the course of the Soviet offensive our troops routed the 25th, 262nd, and 293rd German infantry divisions and the 18th German Tank Divisions. Heavy losses were inflicted on the 112th, 208th and 211th German Infantry Divisions. In three days over 12,000 enemy troops were killed and over 2000 taken prisoner. “Our-troops captured booty, including 40 tanks, 210 guns, 187 mortars and destroyed 109 tanks, 294 planes, and 47 guns. The offensive is continuing.'’ Weight of Artillery Fire The Times’ Stockholm correspondent says that German messages from the front emphasise the terrible weight of Russian artillery fire in the Orel sector. One report admits that the Russians are superior in artillery and have apparently an inexhaustible supply of ammunition for guns of every calibre, including an astonishing number of the heaviest type. Another report says that a new type of gun not known to the German Army has been in action on the Orel front with great effect.

Colonel Vassilev, the Red Army commentator, writing in the Soviet War News, published in London, says that the Germans again over-rated their own forces and again under-rated the Russians and failed to gain any decisive success, despite the immense losses of tanks, planes, and man-power. The Russian counter-attacks are gaining momentum, says the British United Press correspondent in Moscow. Lieutenant Hans Frankenfeld, of the German Ninth Tank Division, who deserted to the Russians, said that that German commanders at dawn on July 5 before the German offensive opened, read an order of the day from Hitler. “The offensive about to be launched must be decisive,” it said. “The battle will be difficult, but it is the last battle for victorious Germany.” The British United Press military writer says that the new Russian blow will have brought the Red Army within striking distance of the main north-south railway from Smolensk through Bryansk to Kharkov. In the two areas in which the Russians have advanced, in three days they have occupied over 1000 square miles. It is not likely that any German position would be defended in depth as much as 12 or 18 miles, which is the extent of the Russian advance east and north of Orel. The advance east from Orel may have brought the Russians to the outskirts of Orel itself. North of Orel they are now iwthin 20 miles of Bryansk. The Russian troops are developing their initiative and are slowly but steadily pushing the Germans out of the territory they lost in the Byelgorod area in the first push of the German offensive. The communique lists the following as among the large inhabited localities captured: Demensk, Kraoivna. Starilsa and Orlovska.