FALL OF SEBASTOPOL

Grey River Argus, 12 May 1944, Page 5

FALL OF SEBASTOPOL

GERMAN RETREAT

To Tip of Crimea

LONDON, May 10. A Soviet air communique says that two enemy transports totalling 4000 tons, also an escorting cutter and several landing barges were sunk in the Black Sea, and a number of other vessels damaged. . , ... A German communique admitted the evacuation of Sebastopol alter extremely hard battles. It statea. “Sebastopol was turned into a neap of rubble by unparalleled artillery and air bombardment. The Germans and Roumanians withdrew to the western tip of the Crimea. . lhe Russian allegations about sinking German transports are untrue. All stocks of war material were evacuated, ana all important war installations ana everything useful to the enemy were destroyed.” «■ , . Reuter’s Moscow correspondent, says: The fall of Sebastopol maybe the beginning of final blows from east and west against Hitler s Europe. The way is now clear tor opening a Red Army Balkan offensive. The Germans’ Black Sea flank has been placed in the greatest peril. The eyes of the Soviet Command are fixed on Roumanian and other Balkan countries. ' . „ Moscow is taking the smashing ot Sebastopol’s impregnable defences as a herald and augury of an Allied invasion from the west. “Pravda, hailing the victory, says. “On the eve of the new blow to be struck against Hitler's Germany, the magnificent storming of Sebastopol is a -happy omen. It shows what these ‘unassailable fortifications’ and these ‘Atlantic walls’ are worth.” An official spokesman of the German War Ministry stated a Russian offensive is believed to be shaping for the near future. The British United Press Moscow correspondent says: Tens of thousands of Roumanian and German soldiers were killed by a tremendous ari tillery blow from thousands of massed Russian guns, which opened up the (final assault against Sebastopol. It was the greatest artillery barrage ever carried' out on the Russian front. Huge blocks of granite rocketed into the air as shells struck hills- surrounding the city, and when Russian infantry launched the assault, they found the ground strewen with masses of twisted guns and wreckage of fortifications, together with mangled bodies of tens of thousands of Roumanians and Germans. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent reports that the King has awarded the G.B.E. to Marshal Vassilevsky. It is one of the 181 British decorations conferred on officers and men of the Red Army, Navy and Air Force, handed over by the British Ambassador (Sir A. Clark-Kerr) to Mr. Molotov. Ten senior Red Army generals and one Air Force general have been awarded the K.B.E.

GERMAN STAND IN SEBASTOPOL. SUCCESSFUL WITHDRAWAL CLAIMED. (Rec. 10.30.) LONDON. May 11. The Berlin radio commentator, Von Olberg, says: The men of the German Army, the Luftwaffe, the Navy, and the police fought stubbornly and doggedly in trenches at Sebastopol. They withstood the violence of the Russian assault for three days, but, when enemv forces succeeded in breaking in on the south of the city, the German Commander decided to give up the struggle. The German troops who fought in the Crimea have been taken back to the south-western tip of the Crimea Peninsula in a series of w’ell-planned withdrawal movements. Thus the Russians occupied the main battle lines without heavy fighting. The London “Daily Telegraph says: Von Olberg’s phrase, “the German Command decided to give up the struggle” is unprecedented, the statement suggesting that the morale of German and Roumanian troops, cracked at the last moment.” NO CHANGES. LONDON, May 10. To-night’s Soviet communique reports no substantial changes along the front. A Russian communique stated: Red Air Force ’planes in the Barents Sea sank th?£e motor torpedo-boats. GERMAN ATTACKS. REPULSED AT STANISLAWOW. (Rec. 9.10.) LONDON, May 11. ' A Moscow communique states: German forces south-east of Stanislawow twice attacked our positions. The Germans were thrown back to their original positions, leaving six hundred dead. -