Evening star., 1942-07-06
Don RiverCrossed,
Reich Radio Says;
Tanks Lead Push
2, the Associated Press.

2, the Associated Press.
LONDON, July 6.-The Ger
mans have thrown more thar
100000 troops into the KursE
offensive in a massive wheeling
operation to overrun the ap-
proaches to the Caucasus, mill
tary informant, not quotable BY
name, declared today.
Gen. Heinz Guderian's seconc
tank group was said to be leading
the drive eastward and the Ger
mans were reported to have 1,50(
flrst-line aircraft deployed to ex-
plot any major German success
The enemy already has reported es-
tablishing a bridgehead across the
Don.
German radio broadcasts to-
day attributed the claim of hav-
ing crossed the Don River to the
German high command, but
there was no mention in the
broadcast text of the communique
about such a crossing.
CThe Moscow radio said that
In the past five days of "repell-
ing the main Fascist onslaught
In the Kursk sector Russian
tanks alone had destroyed four
regiments of infantry, one ar
tillery regiment and from SO to
so tanks.
CPrisoners taken call the Ger
man losses gigantic" the broad
cast added. Columbia Broadcast
Ing System recorded it.
fThe Russians, reporting the
flercest fighting around the cities
of Belorod and Volchansk in the
Kharkov corner, were struggling
desperately to stem the German
offensive. which was aimed be-
yond the Don and the strategic
city. of VoroneZh, on the Moscow
Rostov railway
Front 130 Miles Long.
The present battle is being fought
on a 120-mile front from east of
Orel to east of Kharkov. Military
experts predicted the Germans
would create a major diversion on
the northeast shore of the Black
Sea, employing Nazi troops from the
Kerch peninsula. This drive prob
ably would be aimed directly at
Rostov. gateway to the oil regions.
The tactical objective of the
Ukraine offensive is to sever the
Moscow -Voronezh- -Rostov Railway,
the last remaining lateral commun-
ication from Moscow to Marshal
Semeon Timoshenko's army group
in the south. The Vichy radio, fire.
quently an avenue for German prop
aganda. said today the line already
had been cut.
Gen. Guderian's headlong assault
--spearheaded by the relatively small
force of three armored, two motor
lied and five veteran infantry divi-
sions-already has forced the Rus
slams back in the Vorenezh region.
Two German columns were said to
be approaching the city from the
northwest and southwest, intending
to, unite west of the Don and move
on the city.
Secondary Nazi Drive.
Marshal Fedor Won Book, in charge
of the entire German offensive in
the south, then was expected to try
to shove a great mass of infantry
and artillery on across the Don and
drive southwark on Stalingrad. The
success of this massive maneuver
would determine whether the Ger
mans could reach the oil of the
Caucasus before the SHOWS fly again
Marshal Timoshenko S prospects OF
pushing up from the south to at
tack the German flank was lessened
by secondary drive shrewdly
launched by Marshal Won Book from
Belgorod. Military experts said this
drive was believed to be engaging
Soviet forces gathered there for a
northern push.
The task OF hating the German
drives has been handed over to
Soviet dive bombers and field artil-
lery. with Russian tanks and in
fantry used only for limited opera
tions, these informants said.
1t was believed here that Marshal
Timoshenko might attempt to draw
Marshal Won Book out until his
entire force was marching eastward
and then strike hard both from the
north and south.