HEAVY AXIS LOSSES

Southland Times, Issue 25704, 13 July 1943, Page 5

HEAVY AXIS LOSSES

RUSSIAN BATTLE TANKS AND PLANES DESTROYED (Rec. 7.15 p.m.) LONDON, July 12. Hitler is losing on an average one tank in every three to four minutes, also approximately eight planes every hour, says Moscow radio. Never before have the German generals seen equipment go so fast. The newspaper Pravda says that instead of attacking communication lines, railway junctions and aerodromes, as in previous offensives, the Luftwaffe is now almost exclusively concerned with the battlefield. The Germans are attaching all types of bombers and fighters to ground units, but the enemy’s plans are being frustrated. He is losing the initiative. Hundreds of planes are fighting a general air battle over the Orel-Kursk-Byelgorod front. At noon yesterday 500 Russian and German planes were observed simultaneously over one sector. The Russian communique states: “Soviet troops in the Orel, Kursk and Byelgorod directions continued to repel the attacks of enemy tanks and infantry. Our troops destroyed or damaged 162 tanks. In aerial engagements and by anti-aircraft fire 31 German planes were shot down.” According to Soviet communiques so far received the Germans have lost in seven days’ fighting in the above sectors at least 2500 tanks and 1068 planes. GERMAN ATTACKS HELD A supplementary Russian communique described the continued holding, of German attacks on the Orel-Kursk sector and stubborn engagements in the Byelgorod sector. “In the Orel-Kursk sector the enemy, having failed to achieve success during an all-day offensive, attempted today again to break through our defence, using large forces,” it stated. “AU the attacks were frustrated and in the evening the enemy was repelled to his initial positions, leaving many disabled and destroyed tanks. During today’s fighting on this sector alone the enemy lost over 2000 officers and men. In another sector on the same front a large force of Soviet aircraft dealt a blow against an enemy tank division, disabling several dozen tanks and dispersing and partly annihilating two German infantry regiments, also dislodging the enemy from two localities. In the Byelgorod sector pur troops fought a stubborn engagement, holding their positions against attacks from several directions and knocking out 34 tanks and five armoured cars, as well as smashing 14 guns. The Soviet Air Force is subjecting enemy concentrations and communications to incessant bombing, inflicting heavy losses.” Moscow radio officially announced last night that Soviet aircraft bombed the railway junction of Byelgorod, where there was a large concentration of "enemy trains. Many fires broke out and pilots observed many explosions, one of which was huge. All the Soviet planes returned.