NOW APPROACHING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 June 1943, Page 3

NOW APPROACHING

HOUR OF DECISIVE BATTLE BROADCAST TO RED ARMY. SOVIET LOCAL GAIN NORTH-EAST OF KHARKOV. (By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright) LONDON, June 24. The Moscow radio, in a special broadcast to the Red Army, said that the hour of decisive battle was approaching. "You are no longer alone; by your side stand the soldiers ct our Allies. The day is not far distant when our liberated country will breathe freely again." the message stated. The most significant activity on the Russian front is in the area of Byelgorod. 50 miles north-east o£ Kharkov. Agency messages state that a Russian battalion broke into an enemy stronghold, in that area. The fighting is of local importance. Byelgorod is still held by the Germans, but the Russian line runs very close to it.

“SECOND FRONT”

DESIRED BY PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT. AS STRONGLY AS BY RUSSIANS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.2 a.m.) » RUGBY, June 25. President Roosevelt declared today, according to a Washington message, that his desire for a second front was as strong as the Russian people's desire. Yesterday the United States Secretary for War (Mr Stimson) reported indications that Germany is moving big forces into France and Italy to meet an Allied invasion. It is believed in Lon-’ don to be safe to assume that the Germans have about forty divisions in France and the Low Countries, totalling perhaps 600,000 men. made up of ordinary field service divisions and training divisions. This total would exclude non-divisional troops, the Luftwaffe, anti-aircraft troops, S.S. units, etc.

Mr Stimson's view, to which expression was given a few days ago, that German troops had been moved to Italian territoy recently, would ssem °t° find some measure of confirmation from the Berlin radio, which tonight stated that Sardinia was defended., by., the "pick of the Axis,” and was now equipped with means against invasion.