Evening star., 1942-07-07
Nozi Ponzers Hammer Junction Germans Claim
OF Soviet Armies at Voronezh; Sinking oil 5.
Axis Flank Falls Back in Eqypt Heavy Cruiser
Line of Germans
Drive Paved With
Dead, Reds Soy
8s the Associated Press.


1s the Associated Press.
MOSCOW, July German
mechanical divisions drove with
sharpening menace today at the
Voronezh link between Russia's S
central and southern armies, de-
spite Red Army resistance which,
1t was officially reported, paved
the line of the new advance with
the enemy dead.
(T'he German high command
claimed capture of Voronezh, but
this claim was not confirmed in
Moscow
According to reports which
reached us across the front lines
six trains with a total of 247 cars
packed with wounded have already
been dispatched to the German
rear" wrote correspondent of
Tass, the official news agency.
Nazi Plans "Thwarted."
The correspondent pictured the
Russian retirement in the Voronezh
vicinity as a maneuver to eliminate
"the menace of German flanking
blow" He added that the Russians
had improved their positions and
thwarted the plans of the German
command"
fVichy broadcast report that
the Russians had launched vio-
lent counter-offensive at Izyum
and Kupyansk, on the southern
flank Of the Germans Voronezh
offensive, throwing the enemy
back across the Krasnaya Ricer)
"A dispatch from Voronezh, cap
ital Of province of the same name
IN the black soil area, said the Rus
SLAMS were opposing the foe from
realigned positions and that con
ditions here are extremely hard"
A dispatch to the army newspa-
per Red Star said the enemy laid
pontoon bridges, repaired damaged
spans and sent barges and boats
swarming at several points to the
east bank OF IAN important water
line" apparently the Dom under the
cover of bombardments by artillery
and aerial squadrons -.
The upper Don, a major objective
on the push from Kursk, hes about
so miles beyond the point OF the
Germans greatest advance across
the region in l941 campaigns.
Tanks Ranged Along Bank.
Soviet tanks were ranged along
the east bank OF the German forced
water line" and were reported
throwing back successive waves of
Nazis attempting further crossings.
This indicated that the Germans
had failed in initial efforts to pene-
trate the Russian defenses In depth.
On the opposite, or western shore,
tanks and troop laden German
trucks were backed UP for some dis
tance awaiting chance to cross.
and Red Air Force bombers were
blasting them in unending waves
while Soviet fighters we're IN con-
slant clashes with Nazi fighters.
Cutting through massive curtain
Of German anti-aircraft fire, Rus
sian bombers were reported to have
destroyed two large crossings and
damaged two others. then to have
bombed Nazi engineers trying to re-
pair the damage
At one point where the Germans
crossed the "waterline" 40 tanks
negotiated the stream only to fall
into q circle of Soviet artillery fire
which smashed them. The Red Air
Force was credited with destruction
Of So more enemy tanks and II troop
and supply laden trucks.
Mounting Activity in North.
Favorable weather conditions after
. late spring brought steadily
mounting activity on the northern
part of the land front.
The Germans, using extensive
smokescreens to cover their tanks
and infantry. attacked on the Ka-
linin sector in an effort to take
two roads, but the Russians re-
ported they cut the tanks of with
counterattacks and disposed of the
infantry in hand-to-hand fighting.
Farther to the north, in the Len
ingrad area, the Germans we're
trying to improve their positions
by sharp infantry thrusts sup
ported by artillery and planes.
The German air force continued
attacks on Soviet Arctic communi-
cations in the far north. The Rus
slams said they destroyed IL enemy
craft In the last few days.
10 Miles East Of Don.
Russian troops were reported
earlier to have removed the menace
of Nazi flank attacks by falling back
toward Voronezh in good order.
The main struggle was said to be
under way for control of the water
line"
Voronezh lies 10 miles east of the
Don and on one Of its major tribu-
taries, the Voronezh River.
Fresh divisions. including the
s8th German Infantry, were moved
into the battle after being rushed
from another sector, increasing to
IL the total number of divisions and
to, almost 100000 the number of
Nazi troops in the drive, the Rus
slams said.
The Red Army, nevertheless, was
said to be defending the water
line" stubbornly, liquidating small
enemy mobile groups which reached
the east bank. A full German reg
iment was reported defeated and
most of its personnel killed in one
OF the greatest clashes.
Thousands of other Germans
were killed, the Russians said. and
a dispatch from the front declared
six trains totaling 247 cars. each
crowded with wounded, had been
seen moving to the German rear.
Hundreds of Nazi tanks. planes and
guns were declared battered out OF
action.