RUSSIAN ATTACKS

Grey River Argus, 28 April 1944, Page 5

RUSSIAN ATTACKS

ON LOWER DNIESTER Enemy Expects Them to Grow r Aus & N.Z- Press A«sn.] (Rec. 12.50.) LONDON. April 27. According- to the Paris radio, new offensive actions have been launched by the Russians in the Tyras*' 03 Tighina area, and are linked witn battle preparations observed in a sector north of Jassy, and probably will emerge in one great offensive. The Russians 'still make no re’ ence to any offensive in the TighinaDubossari area. A Roumanian communique reports: Another Red Army attack has been launched, this time north of Jassy. The communique states that the Russian attacks have been supported by numerous tanks and a powerful air force. Fighting- continues. It adds: “All of the Russian attempts on the Lower Dniester to widen the bridgeheads have remained unsuccessful. A few local penetrations were liquidated or sealed off A Soviet communique again reports that no important changes occurred on the whole front. A British United Press correspondent says: “The German effort around Stanislawow appears to be spending itself. Red Arm-v counterattacks in at least one sector pushed back the enemv with severe losses. The Polish underground Army, acting under orders of the Polish Commander-in-Chief, has blown up three railway bridges in the region of Przmysl and Sanok, thus cutting the main and secondary supply routes from Berlin. ’Breslau and Krakow to Lwow, and Lodz to Lwow. It is expected tins action will have a serious effect on the German defence of Lwow.

The Berlin radio’s commentator, Von Olberg, says that Russia is probably planning a large-scale attack against Roumania. The whole Ukrainian Armies indicates that Galatz will be the next objective. Heavy battles are looming.

A Moscow message stated: The organ’sation and training of a “Second Independent Czechoslovak Brigade” in Russia has been completed. The brigade will join the Red Army, and the first brigade is now fighting on the Czechoslovak frontier. Battle of Sebastopol GERMANS HOLDING ON. LONDON, April 26. A British United Press coijespondent at Moscow says: The Germans 'are trying to get their troops out of Sebastopol bv air as well as by sea. us’ng large numbers of troop-carry-ing Junkers and six-engined Messerschmitts. These efforts are being cut to pieces by strong formations of Russian fighters, which pounce on the transport ’planes immediately they leave the belt of protective fire. The Russian Air Force is also ranging over the whole length of the German escape route from Sebastopol to Roumanian ports. ' “The Germans have ringed Sebastop’ol with one of the greatest barrages in history, in an endeavour to hold the port and evacuate the troops, savs the correspondent. They have concentrated every available gun, from light anti-aircraft weapons to heavy artillery, in a great semi-circle running from the southern to the western shores of the Crimea. This whole area has been converted into one gigantic batterv which spouts flames and metal whenever Russian ’planes and troops attack. The gun positions have been hewn from the rock on which the city is built. Stone houses have been converted into strongpoints. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent savs thick clouds of dust and great plume's of smoke are rising from the hills and gullies around Sebastopol. The sky over the citv is half-hidden in white puffs of shell-bursts. A “Pravda” correspondent who watched the battle from the sea says the battlefield looks as if a vast volcano is belching smoke and flame over the city. A Soviet air communique says: Our 'planes, day and night bombed ships and military stores at Sebastopol. Several transports were directly hit, and fires were observed in various parts of the port, accompanied by numerous explosions. Our Air Force continued to deal blows on eneniy transports and on communication lines on the open sea. During the past 24 hours, five enemy transports totalling 13,000 tons, also an invasion barge and two patrol vessels have been sunk, and two other transports seriously damaged. Our' aerial reconnaissance a few days ago spotted m the Barents Sea a large group of German transports sailing under escort of naval vessels. Our ’planes dealt five consecutive blows aga’nst the enemy with bombs and torpedoes. Despite strong anti-aircraft fire, our airmen broke through to the enemy shins and sank four German transports totalling 20,000 tons, also two coastguard vessels and a coastguard cutter. Heavy damage was also inflicted on two transports, a coastguard' vessel, and a torpedo-boat.