RUSSIAN FRONTS

Grey River Argus, 11 June 1943, Page 5

RUSSIAN FRONTS

Air Activity BOTH SIDES RAIDING [Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] LONDON, June 9. Moscow radio stated: There was ground activity on the fronts today. On the Leningrad front Soviet detachments wiped out two enemy infantry companies. Ukrainian guerrillas, operating around Kiev, killed 4227 Germans during April, according to latest reports received, at Moscow’. To-day, a German communique claims that German close-range bomber formations yesterday sank 47 landing barges off the eastern coast of the Sea of Azov. Reuter comments that this indicates a new large-scale Russian attempt to land troops behind the German battlefront in the Kuban.

SUCCESSFUL RUSSIAN AIR RAID.

(Rec. 9.10) LONDON, June 9. Moscow radio announced: A large formation of Soviet long-range aircraft on Tuesday night, delivered a powerful blow against six enemy aerodromes. At least from 150 to 160 German planes were either destroyed or damaged, ammunition and oil dumps were blown up and a great number of aerodrome buildings, including hangars were set on fire. Twenty-two Soviet planes did not return. Soviet planes sank a German transport in Barents Sea. In the Baltic an enemy transport and three guard vessels were sunk. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent

states * , Air warfare, at present, is particularly marked along and to the rear . of the Donetz line and in the Bryansk and Leningrad sectors. Over 60 German pilots wer taken prisoner during a mass Luftwaffe raid against Kursk and that the Russian casualties were only one to six. The Germans had drawn’heavily from other sectors for planes in order to concentrate substantial forces against Kursk. Torpedo planes and Sormoviks are participating in attacks against German transports in the Baltic, and the Luftwaffe in the Arctic is again actively attacking Soviet ships. Eighteen Soviet fighters, in a battle yesterday shot down seven of 24 Fockewulfs and Messerschmitts for the loss of one. i -■

Soviet planes are leading the way in a new phase of the air - offensive now in full swing. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says that the Luftwaffe for the first time since the war started, is copying Red Air Force tactics by concentrating on disorganising communication centres to the rear. There is no doubt that the darnage done to German centres by Russian pilots is many times greater than that which the Luftwaffe is inflicting on Russian centres. The German losses continue to be. heavy enough to justify an assumption that they will Germany’s capacity to take the offensive to a noticeable degree, GERMAN AIR (RAID FOI,LED. (Rec. 9.10) LONDON,.June 10. Moscow n’adio stated: German aircraft in daylight yesterday, attempted to raid Volkov. They .were i n two groups totalling seventy planes. Iney were intercepted, and. only a few raiders broke through. They dropped bombs at random, damaging residential buildings. No industrial or other targets suffered. Twenty- lour German planes were destroyed toi the loss of two Russian aircraft. - GERMAN ADMISSION (Rec. 9.50) LONDON, J tine 10. The Berlin radio has indirectly admitted that Oranienbaum, an. important coastal defence position on the Finnish Gulf, 20 miles west _ot Leningrad, is in Russian hands, ine radio stated: The Luftwaffe has successfully attacked the enemy aerodrome supply base of Oranienbaum. This is the first admission that tne Russians had recaptured the town.