RED TRIUMPH

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21400, 10 May 1944, Page 3

RED TRIUMPH

SEBASTOPOL FALLS CRIMEA "CLEARED SWIFT VICTORY GARRISON'S LAST STAND 1 10 a.m.) LONDON, May 9. In a special Order of the Day, Marshal Stalin announced the Russian capture of the great Black Sea naval base of Sebastopol and the clearing of the Crimea of the last German remnants. Earlier despatches stated that lebastopol city, port and the approaches by land and sea are ■eething. The whole area is a flaming cauldron, with Red air fleets hammering, ceaselessly day and night :nd heavy Russian siege guns blasting the Germans from their final positions. According to the Exchange and Telegraph Agency, the Paris radio and and the Vichy radio are preparing listeners for the fall of Sebastopol by emphasising that the fortress is only of local importance and has lost its value for the German defenders. The German Overseas News Agency, quoting a High Command spokesman, says a Russian armoured ‘nrust with 5 tanks reached a point four miles from Jassy. Battle Grows in Fury

The battle of Sebastopol is growing in. fury as the Russians hurl in extremely large forces of tanks' and planes, says a German High Command report broadcast by the Berlin radio. It says: “Balaclava is stated to be the scene of the most vigorous attacks. After a furious artillery bombardment, wave after wave of Russian planes attacked concealed gun emplacements. Red Army infantry followed, assaulting the German lines with ever-fresh orces. The Russians finally succeeded in driving a wedge into the German lines. Fierce fighting continues.”

A Russian supplementary communique, amplifying ’ reports of the Sebastopol attack, says Soviet artillery on Sunday morning opened a withering fire. Bombers and divebombers showered down thousands‘of bombs, after which the Red Army broke the entire length of the main line of the fortified area of Sebastopol. The Germans, in an effort to save the situation, counter-attacked with infantry, tanks and self-pro-,el led guns. The Russian blows were so shattering that the enemy suffered heavily and abandoned position after position. The Russians, capturing the area of Sapugora □ lone, killed 4000 Germans. The doomed Sebastopol garrison has received do-or-die orders from the German . High Command, say:Reuter’s Moscow correspondent. Ii .s fighting savagely but defence points are going under one by one undei the rain of Russian shells and the onrush of the Red Army storm troops.