Evening star., 1942-07-05
Russian Troops
Forced Back on
kursk Front
Germans Increasing
Pressure Against
KuIinin Sector

BY the Associated Press.
MOSCOW Sunday, July s.
Stubbornly fighting Russian SOL
diers have been forced back to
new positions on one sector of
the Kursk front, the Russians
announced today, but their Red
Army comrades are fiercely en-
gaging Axis tanks and infantry
on other areas of that Ukrainian
battlefield.
The midnight Russian communi-
que did not disclose just where the
Russians fell back in fighting which
has developed into some of the
heaviest of the war.
In its brief report on the Kursk
fighting yesterday the Soviet Bureau
of information reported that Soviet
soldiers Carried out a fierce battle
against tanks and enemy infantry"
during the day as the Germans
sought to advance eastward.
"On one sector of this direction
(Kursk) our men retreated and
occupied new POSITIONS" the COM
munique continued.
Stubborn Battles Continue.
Stubborn battles still were being
waged against the invaders on the
Belgorod and Volchansk fronts,
north of Kharkov.
The Russians disclosed that the
Germans were putting on the pres
sure on the Kalinin front, north
west of Moscow. The midnight
communique said fighting still con-
tinued in that sector after twin
offensives against two different
points on the Kalinin front were
thrown back with the loss of at
least 2,800 enemy men and officers
and u tanks.
The first attacks were launched
Friday by enemy infantry supported
by about so to 10 tanks and aircraft.
These were reported thrown back
and the Germans tried again yes
terday but, the Russians said, to
no avail
"All attacks were repulsed; battles
continue" the communique asserted.
Reds Counterattacked Earlier.
The Red army earlier had hit
back at the Germans and their Axis
allies in the Ukraine with a sharp
counterattack in the Kursk sector
forcing the Nazis to retreat across
an important stream after absorbing
the full force of a German offensive
along the flaming 100-mile front.
Frontline dispatches said the re-
silent Soviet defense wrecked
dozens of German tanks and
slaughtered thousands of Hitler s
troops near the junction of the
central and southern fronts before
starting their own attack. A tre-
mendous number of enemy guns and
other material were declared des-
troyed as the Germans and their
Hungarian mercenaries were rocked
on their heels.
The Germans were said to be los
ing at least the equipment of one
armored division daily in the tre-
mendous defense of attrition-a
total of 300 tanks, about evenly di-
vided among the three main sectors
of the Ukraine front. Much of the
| spectacular fighting was tank
against tank.
Pierce battles continue" the high
command said of the six-day Kursk
offensive in which the Russians
killed several thousand enemy
officers and men, consisting mainly
Of the I'd Hungarian Corps"
Book Increases Pressure.
The Axis forces of Marshal Fedol
Won Book increased their pressure in
the Belgorod and Volchansk zones
groping for weak spots in the deep
and strengthening Russian positions
The Germans apparently were try
ing to break through to Voronezh to
cut the last remaining rail link lead
ing from Moscow to the south.
(The German high command
(See RUSSIA, Page A-6.)