Evening star., 1942-07-08
Fresh Crossings
Being RepeIIed,
Reds Declare
8y the Associated Press.

MOSCOW, July 8.-The coun-
terattacking Red Army was re-
ported tonight to be wiping out
German bridgeheads on the east
bank of a bitterly contested river
in the VoroneZh sector (appar-
emily the River Dom and to be
repulsing successfully all further
enemy attempts to cross the
stream
The Germans yesterday reported
their columns had crossed this
river at several places, but today
Russian dispatches from the front
said landings on the east bank were
being wiped out.
Violent combats still ragged along
the rivers course, but light enemy
units which had reached the east
bank were reported destroyed and
the bulk of the German forces held
on the west bank.
Nazi Offensive Slowed.
Holding grimly to it's new line:
and counterattacking strongly ir
some sectors, the Red Army reported
that 1t had slowed the mighty Ger
man onslaught against Voronezh
key link between Russias central
and southern armies.
Red Star, mouthpiece of the army
announced ''it is with great diff
Guilty, but nevertheless our troops
are holding the pressure of the
enemy"
Qn Berlin the German high
command reported that numer-
Gus Soviet troops were encircled
and captured northwest of Vo-
roneZh in enlarging a German
salient in that district. Strong
Russian forces were surrounded
on the Rzhev front west of Mos
COW, the high command said
(The Germans said strong Rus
sian counterattacks northwest of
Voronezh failed, but that the
Russians were continuing to at
tack in the Orel sector.
In London an authoritative
British source said the Germans
might attempt divisionary
landing on the Caucasian coast
from the Crimea, but that this
would be difficult operation be-
cause of the rugged shore line
and potential Russian feet ac-
tion)
German Claim Ignored.
The German claim of the cap
ture of Voronezh by reinforced Nazi
troops which streamed across the
city went unconfirmed. The So
Wet Information Bureau declared
the whitening fire of massed Rus
sian tanks had beaten off bitter
German assaults on a height in
the chalky hills just west of Voro-
nezh.
Red Army men gave ground in
two areas of the Staryi Oskol sec
tor and counterattacked in another
to pile up a toll of 5000 or more
Germans killed, 80 trucks and IS
tanks destroyed, it was announced
Both before Staryi Oskol and Voro-
nezh, the Russians said their guns
famed through the night, round
ing out a two-month defense against
regional German offensiveS.
VIOLENT combat was reported in
both the Voronezh and Staryi Oskol
sectors of the upper Don Basin as
the Russians battled twin drives to
the east from the Kursk-Kharkov
zone dangerously threatening the
Red Army communications.
The invasion salient apparently
widened slowly.
Heavy pressure before Staryi Os-
kol. rail town of $4,000 on the
Oskol River IS miles southwest OF
Voronezh, forced the Russians tc
Withdraw to new positions, but only
after they had exacted a heavy
toll. the Soviet Information Bureau
announced.
I'm one of the sectors the Ger,
mans hurled about 200 tanks and E
large infantry force into the attack.
it said. The Hitlerites were FIRMLY
met by artillerymen, trench mortal
crews. anti-tank rifiemen ane
tankists.
Eighty German trucks were dis
abled. Our men moved down th'
Hitlerites by point-blank fire o
machine guns, automatic rifles ane
rifles. After killing several hun
dred enemy officers and men ou
units retired to previously prepared
defense lines"
Nazi Reserves in Action.
A Soviet tank detachment holding
a sector in the Don River basin ives
Of Voronezh killed TOO Germans ant
demolished IA of their tanks in
oay's action, it was announced.
Outnumbered Red Army men wer
declared to have slain more thai
1000 during defense OF village 10
43 hours, although the implication
was that the invaders finally won II
The information bureau said Ger
man reserves were thrown INT
action. Thirty tanks, more than
regiment Of infantry and plane
were reported to have attacked a
one point
Soviet artillery met the enem
with mass shelling and destroye
II German tanks" the bureau re
ported. Soviet heavy tanks an
infantry concentrated and thre'
the enemy back to his initial posi-
tons. The Germans left more tha1
TOO dead on the field. Prisoners Wer
taken"
Red Army men killed 400 NOR
end disabled nine German tanks il
q fighting withdrawal at anothe
point, il was said.
OF The other major combat zon
In the Don River basin IS mile
northeast of Staryi Oskol, the bu
reau said:
Fierce battles continued to tn
west of Voronezh. In one sector
large German force tried to captur
height defended by Soviet tan
tSee RUSSIA, Page A-2)