RUSSIANS ROLL ON

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21150, 19 July 1943, Page 3

RUSSIANS ROLL ON

PUSH UNCHECKED MOSCOW EXCITEMENT BIGGER BLOWS EXPECTED (By Telegraph—Tress Assn.—Copyright.! HO a.m.) LONDON, July IS. While the Soviet communique on Friday night simply claimed an advance on the Orel front of six to nine miles, Reuter's correspondent in Stockholm quotes an unconfirmed report that Marshal Timoshenko’s troops are already in the suburbs of Orel. The Soviet communique says:— "During the day the Germans launched 11 counter-attacks on the Orel front which were repulsed with heavy losses. Soviet troops on Friday, overcoming the enemy’s resistance and repelling counter-attacks, continued their offensive and advanced six to eight miles.

"In the Orel-Kursk direction, our troops, by successful counter-attacks, are advancing. In two days in this direction our troops have completely restored the situation to what it was before the German offensive started on July 5. In the Byelgorod direction, reconnaissance activity took place. On Friday on the Orel front and in the Orol-Kursk direction, our troops destroyed or damaged 168 German tanks One hundred and six German planes were shot down in aerial engagements and by anti-aircraft lire.” A Russian supplementary communique states: “The Germans in the Orel ecter are hurriedly bringing up reserves in an effort to halt us. The enemy under our heavy blows has abandoned a number of populated places and lost 3000 killed.” Further Advance

A later Soviet communique states:

“To-day, the Russians on the Orel front continued their offensive, overcoming counter-attacks and advanced two and a half miles to four miles.. In the Byelgorod direction intensified reconnaissance actively took place. Yesterday the Russians on the Orel front destroyed or damaged 18 tanks and 20 armoured ears. One hundred and thirty-seven enemy planes were destroyed.”

A Moscow message states that the Germans have thrown at least one Panzer division straight from the march into a counter-attack in reinforcement of the retreating forces in the Orel sector, but the Red Army continues to advance. The reports indicate that practically the wholesector south of Orel is in motion in favour of the Russians.

A German communique on Fridaystated: “The Russians, in relief attacks, made powerful infantry an tank thrusts along the whole frm from Kursk to Sikhinichi. These everywhere were vp-elled.” The Berlin radio last ni“ht stated: “After a long interval the Russians yesterday morning, after heavy artillery preparations, attacked the German line south of Shusselburg at three points." the radio claimed that these thrusts were repelled. Moscow reports state that M. Stalin visited the Russian troops at the front immediately before Ihe Soviet offensive was launched. The Russian public is in a state of excitement over the news from the front, which is comparable to that received last winter when the Soviet forces advanced on various sectors. Big Battles Imminent Knowing that the basis of M, Stalin's offensive strategy is to follow up one blow by another, the Russian, and also foreign observers are ex L pecting cheering news from sector; other than Orel and Kursk. Battles on an unprecedented scale and intensity are expected to develop soon. The Russians, who are masters of artillery and rely on gunfire more than any other army, will probably surpass the German record in the use of artillery in the first days of the battles in the Kursk salient. Here, according to enemy sources, the Reichswehr used more shells in one day than in the course of the entire French campaign and more bullets than during the Polish campaign. The Germans were confident that the Soviet defenders were reduced to impotence by the intense lire and discounted the possibility of a Soviet, attack when they began to withdraw to reform their battered Panzer and infantry divisions. The Russians, however, did not wait for reinforcements, but took advantage of the German withdrawal to attack. The Moscow radio, broadcasting to the Germans, emphasised the failure of the German offensive and the success of the Russian countermeasures. The radio announcer pointed out that the Germans from July 5 to July 16 lost 3264 tanks and 1808 planes.