Nazis Hurl In Massed Tanks And Infantry

Northern Advocate, 22 April 1944, Page 5

Nazis Hurl In Massed Tanks And Infantry

(Rec. 1.30 p.m.) LONDON, April 21. Ignoring big losses in his great bid to hinder Soviet operations, von Manstein is still hurling masses of tanks and infantry 15 to 20 times daily against the Red < Army’s Stanislawow positions, says Reuter’s Moscow correspondent. Each attack is supported by yicious dive-bembing against the Soviet trenches. However, Marshal Zhukov’s men are standing firm on their original positions and the Red Army; in the adjacent. sector south-west of Tarnopol is already taking the initiative and forcing von Manstein to divert some of his scanty reserves from the Stanislawow struggle. ‘ *. German reserves are now. being forced to re-cross the Dniester to l reach the threatened positions south-west of Tarnopol. Tonight’s Soviet communique says the Russians south-east of “ Stanis,lawow repelled attacks by large forces of enemy infantry and tanks, of which 68 were destroyed by Soviet fire.' The enemy lost ever 1500 killed alone. The Russians are holding' two German counter-offensives on the main front as the last act of the Crimea drama nears its end. says Reuter’s Moscow correspondent. Continuous assaults from major forces marked the third day of von Manstein’s attack against Marshal Zhukov’s advanced positions in the foothills of the Carpathian passes in the Stanislawow region, but so far the German efforts have failed; Although fighting has reached a hew peak of fury, von Manstein is being forced to deflect some of ;, his tank reserves north to meet renewed Russian pressure south-west from: Tarnopol. • ’" '

A German attack in Estonia, against the Russian bridgehead on the. west bank of the Narva River was also held by the Red Army. •

“Red Star" states that the Germans are moving reserves, including Hungarian units, to the Stanislawow; area. The Germans unsuccessfully’ sent as many as 80 to 120 tanks and planes into single actions. One Russian unit repelled 15 attacks within 24 hours. Breaking Point

According to Vichy radio, the breaking point has been reached at Sebastopol.. The Russians are attacking without cessation.

The “New York Times” correspondent (Mr Drew Middleton), in a despatch from London, says there are signs that the Red Army is preparing a large-scale offensive which military opinion here believes will be launched just prior or simultaneously to the British and American invasion of Western Europe The Russians are making huge re-grouping preparations for a campaign across Poland this spring and summer where the .Russian High Command hopes at last to catch and destroy the main body of■ the German army in the east. Large-scale Groupings :j?

The German news agency’s--com-mentator (Sertorius) says the Soviet High Command is making large-scale groupings between the Dniester estuary and the Pripet marshes. The Russians are possibly waiting until the armies engaged in the Crimea are free in order to increase the weight of the next phase of the offensive thrust against South-east Europe. The British United Press Moscow correspondent says the latest German attempts to hit back in the Narva area indicate that the enemy fears a large new Russian offensive directed against the heart of the Baltic States. Tonight’s Soviet communique reports that long-range planes bbmbed and set fire to two shale plants in Estonia.

Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says that the Red Army at Sebastopol is bringing up great numbers of guns against the walls of the fortress city in which the defenders are still fighting a grim delaying action in the hope of evacuating the German . and Rumanian troops by sea. The Moscow correspondent of the “Daily Express” says the Russian fleet, under Admiral Oktobriasky, is going all-out against the Germans attempting to reach Rumanian ports. A Russian vice-admiral told a correspondent: “If we had not won naval and air supremacy over the Elack Sea we would never have come so far.”