NAZIS AT BAY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 April 1944, Page 4

NAZIS AT BAY

IN DOOMED SEBASTOPOL

VAST MASSING OF ARTILLERY.

IN ATTEMPT TO COVER EVACUATION.

(By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 11.5 a.m.) LONDON, April 26. ‘*The Germans have ringed Sebastopol with one of the greatest barrages in history, in an endeavour to hold the port and evacuate troops,” says the British United Press Moscow correspondent.

“They have concentrated every available gun, from light, anti-aircraft weapons to heavy artillery, in a great semi-circle, running from the southern to'the western shores of the Crimea. This whole area has been converted into one gigantic battery, which spouts flames and metal whenever Russian planes or troops attack. Gun positions have been hewn in the rock on which the city is built and stone houses have been converted into strongpoints. The Germans are trying to get troops out by air as well as by sea. They are using large numbers of troop-carrying Junkers and six-engined Messerschmitts, but these efforts are being cut to pieces by strong formations of Russian fighters, which pounce on the transport planes immediately they leave the belt of protective fire. The Russian Air Force is also ranging over the whole length of the German escape route, from Sebastopol to Rumanian ports.

Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says thick clouds of dust and great plumes of smoke are rising from the hills and gullies around Sebastopol. The sky over the city is half hidden by the white puffs of shell bursts. A “Pravda” correspondent who watched the battle from the sea says the battlefield looks as if a vast volcano were belching smoke and flame over the city. SECOND CZECH BRIGADE ORGANISED & TRAINED. ' MOVING TO THE FRONT. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.55 a.m.) RUGBY, April 26. The organisation and training of a second “Independent Czechoslovak Brigade” in Russia has been completed The brigade will join the Red Army and the First Brigade, now fighting on the Czechoslovak frontier, states a Moscow message. STILL UNCONFIRMED ENEMY REPORTS OF ATTACK ON DNIESTER GERMAN COUNTER-ATTACK FADING OUT (Received This Day, 11.10 a.m.) LONDON, April 26. Reports thus far make no mention of the violent Red Army attacks on the Lower Dniester reported in German and Rumanian communiques, but a British United Press correspondent says the German effort around Stanislawow appears to <be spending itself, and Red Army counter-attacks in at least one sectoi’ have pushed back the enemy with severe losses. ENEMY TRANSPORTS SUNK AT SEBASTOPOL & ON ESCAPE ROUTE AND IN THE BARENTS SEA (Received This Day, 12.20 p.m.) LONDON, April 26. A Soviet communique again reports that no important changes have occurred on the whole front. An air communique says: “Our planes by day and night bombed ships and military stores in Sebastopol. Several transports were directly hit. Fires were observed in various parts of the port, accompanied by numerous explosions.

“Cur Air Force has continued to deal blows at enemy transports on communication lines in the. open sea. During the past 24 hours, five enemy transports, totalling 13,000 tons and also an invasion barge and two patrol vessels have been sunk. Two other transports were seriously damaged.

“Our aerial reconnaissance a few days ago spotted, in the Barents Sea, a large group of German transports sailing under the escort of naval vessels. Our planes dealt five consecutive blows against the enemy, with bombs and' torpedoes. Despite strong antiaircraft fire, our airmen broke through to the enemy ships and sank four German transports, totalling 20,000 tons; also two Coastguard vessels and a Coastguard cutter. Heavy damage was • also inflicted on two transports, a Coastguard vessel and torpedo-boat.” The- Berlin radio’s commentator, Von Olberg, says Russia probably is planning a large-scale attack against Rumania. The whole deployment of the Second and Third Ukrainian Armies, he says, indicates that Galatz will be the next objective. Heavy battles are looming.