AGAINST LWOW

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25589, 17 July 1944, Page 5

AGAINST LWOW

FULL-SCALE OFFENSIVE AN ENEMY REPORT (Rec, 10 p.m.) LONDON, July 15. The German News Agency reports that the Russians yesterday launched the expected large-scale attack between Tamopol and Luck. The main weight of the attack was in the area north-west of Tamopol. The Russians attacked with many rifle divisions, supported by strong task forces on a relatively small frontal sector. The attack was preceded by an artillery barrage lasting several hours, and was supported throughout the day by strong forces of dive-bombers. German defensive forces in the heaviest fluctuating fighting succeeded in repelling the enemy at almost all the points and eliminated or sealed off isolated points of penetration. The second centre of the offensive was in the area west of Luck, where the Russians last Thursday made a plight breach. Soviet forces yesterday launched a mass attack in the southwest and succeeded in widening the breach, but were thrown back by a German counter-attack. Reuter’s correspondent points out that the Luck-Tarnopol line covers Lwow. the great German supply base in. Poland. . A Russian communique states that Soviet forces to-day completed the capture of Opochka, and north-west of Swieciany occupied over 80 places, incluing two railway stations. The Rus-

dans west and south-west of Vilna captured the town and railway station of Alytus and 70 places, including the key junction of Kaisedoriai, 20 miles from Kaunas. Russian troops have' emerged at the Niemen River north and south of Alytus on a 75-mile front and have forced the river at several points and established bridgeheads on the western bank. The Red Army north of Volkovysk forced the Ros River and captured over 60 inhabited localities. North-west and west of Pinsk the Russians continued the offensive and captured Lohiszyn, 20 miles north-west of Pinsk, and 20 other places. Yesterday 101 enemy tanks and 46 planes were destroyed on all fronts.