BEST NEWS OF SUMMER

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXIII, Issue 193, 15 July 1943, Page 5

BEST NEWS OF SUMMER

(N.Z. Press Association.—Copyright.; LONDON, July 14.

"The fact that the Germans have had to call off their attacks in the Orel-Kursk direction on the eighth day of their powerful offensive is the" best news the Russians have had this summer," says the Moscow correspondent of the Columbia Broadcasting System. He adds: "There are also indications that the battle is slackening in all sectors of the central front."

The Red Army is steadily wearing down von Kluge's forces in the battle for the Orel-Kursk bulge reports Reuter's Moscow correspondent. He says tliat Monday's fighting was characterised by two outstanding facts: (1) The Germans attacked with smaller forces and noticeably less vigour; (2) the Russian defences developed a tremendous comeback, as was exemplified by the Russian Guards at Bielgorod recapturing their original lines.

Renter adds: "The Battle of Kursk has not yet been decided but unless von Kluge is able to produce a military white rabbit from Hitler's battered top hat it looks as though Goebbels had sound intuition when he pretended that the German offensive was not an offensive at all."

The British United Press's Moscow correspondent says "the Germans are switching fresh reserves of ground forces and planes to the Bielgorod front in an effort to achieve a breakthrough which fat.cd on the OrelKursk sector. Big forces are being thrown in to develop the wedge which the Germans at the week-end forced in the Russian Bielgorod positions and the Russians have taken up defensive positions to prevent this. The Germans at Bielgorod are delivering continuous sharp tank attacks which are composed of one-third Tiger tanks, but even these so far have failed to gain any ground. „