The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-07-03


 1Es that recaptsIred villages and
 elhers ground is changing hands |It4ntiy," the Red Star said.
 Eeral enemy regiments have re-
 E1aly lost 50 per cent of their l&tttves."
 Forcing the river barrier occurred
 ring a five-day battle in which 1 Germans were repulsed repeat
 VI. The enemy then moved up s11M mechanized columns supported
 strong air squadrons, some of Nflch had just been transferred I4um Crete, the newspaper said.
 Ekhall groups of five or 10 tanks N1orn9ed to force the river, where etE advance was barred by Soviet KtilieFy and tanks" 1t added. Red I11cred forces struck before the en- E1V could deploy for battle and the '7nt is still raging. A hurricane of Soviet fire moved down a German t4Falfy charge at nelghoor1ng oins.s
 The Germans have lost 50 heavily fnAt they are now throwing in sec- 9nd line troops. dispatches reported.
 Magnitude of Drive
 Dispatches to the Communist party organ Pravda revealed for the first time the magnitude of the German drive around Kursk, 275 miles below Moscow
 On the first day of the offensive, the Russians destroyed 222 German tanks. Yesterday-the fifth day of the offensive-the Germans hurled Hundreds of tanks and masses of Infantry and aircraft" at the Rus slaus on the main sector of the lront, the dispatch asserted.
 The Russians, fighting at close quarters and often against supe- EiDr forces, held their ground and N1iActed such losses that the Ger aaus had to feed second-line men Into the battle.
 These forces, the dispatch said. were constantly under the fire of EQviet tanks and unable to ma meItyer or dig in.
 Russian counter attacks regained several inhabited points and many Villages repeatedly changed hands. Endorsements of Adolf Hitler'S pet sS brigades were reported to have been routed, while the Red nir force yesterday destroyed l30 German motor transports, many asks and anti-aircraft batteries |4snd killed 1900 men.
 S Grows in FerOcity
 The battle, however was growing with mounting ferocity.
 Apparently the Kursk battle was the main action on the blazing southern front, although the Rus slams officially admitted for the first time today that the Russians were fighting in the streets of &c., vastOpol, the Soviet's first Crimean naval base, and that the Germans had started still another offensive, between Belgorod and Volchansk, 60 and 8 miles, respectively, north east of Kharkov.
 me Germans claimed the capture 1 of Sevastopol two days ago, and the first Russian communique, saying fighting continued" in its stretes, indisated that the battle had been { within the city for some time.
 The offensive between Belgorod and Volchansk, which the Germans started in two directions, was new, and there were no immediate front line reports on it's progress. The fiist communique today said only that "our troo. .,s fought the enemy im the Belgorod and Volchansk di- xectiOrs" during the night.
 Hitler's summer offensive appeared Co be developing quickly as probably the biggest battles of the year ragged In the 150 miles between the Kursk and Kharkov areas.
 At least three German parallel gpearheads were jabbing eastward \ toward railroads and rivers vital 70 the Soviet, but apparently with but much success against Marshal lGefnyon Timoshenkos troops. \ The Germans, paying no heed to llOsSes, hurled masses of men, tanks and planes against the Russians in series of synchronized, massive blows.
 Pravda, the Communist party or- 4 gan, announced in 8 dispatch that antedated today's first communicate that the Germans had broken the dcferses of Sevastopol in one sector and entered the city.
 The defenders exhausted after an eight-month battle, are retreat in@ and fighting for every yard" pravda said.
 The midnight communique ignored CSeTmanys two-day-old claim that Hevastopol had fallen and the rem iaants' of its garrison faced annihil- < mtinn on a narrow peninsula.
 lin the Sevatstopol sector of the 1ront," 1t said, "our troops fought tlle enemy in fierce hand-to-hand arrangements on the city's outskirts" |"
 Hand To Hand Fighting
 The emphasis on hand-to-hand fi&htinR suggested that much of @evastopol,s artillery was out of &C., 4i0n on this, the 27th day, of the srmans' continuous assault. A week eo Russian correspondents reported 11iAt artillery emplacements had &een shattered in number of HNamts.
 There now were three parallel Merlnan drives east between Kursk and Kupiansk, distance of 150 mics, all pointing toward the vital Railroads connecting Moscow with G0i1thern Russia. The Germans ob- Ylcglsly were trying to link up and widen the front.
 Reports reaching London said tliat some of the fiercest fighting tlile year was raging between Kursk and Kupyansk.
 cThese reports said the Germans mttategy seemingly was to strike in 6cctOrs, rather than attempt gen. oral offensive, as last year.
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