Evening star., 1943-07-18
Russian Front

Reports early in the week indicated
that Hitler himself, having been misled
by the early German successes in the
offensive defensive drive in the Belgorod
sector had taken command on the Rus
sian front and ordered full-scale offen-
sive against the advice and arguments
of his generals only to return later to
Berlin for conferences.
The fighting was very severe Monday
both at the wedge which the Germans
had pushed into the Belgorod front and
also on the OrelKursk front. The Nazis
claimed that from July to Monday, the
Reds had lost $4,000 in prisoners alone,
1640 tanks and 1400 guns. The Reds
countered with the claim that the Nazis
losses had reached total of $500 tanks
and 1,068 planes during the same period.
Stymied on the Orel front, Marshal
Won Kluge turned back to the old Ger
man powerhouse strategy and sent prac-
tically all of his armored strength Tues
day in drive to widen the Belgorod
bulge. The Russians declared that about
one-third of the tanks and all of those
in the spearhead itself were the new
Cotton Tiger tanks but claimed that their
own XIV is superior. At any rate despite
the flerceness Cf the Nazis' drive, the
Russian lines held throughout the day
and night.
The tide of battle seemed about to
shift Wednesday when the Russians
launched series of heavy counterattacks
which the Germans claimed to have
hot
however, was the stamina of the Russian
Army which was able to assume the
offensive after the severe hammering
received in the first nine days of the
current battle.
Fighting Jagged Wednesday on the rest
OF the front, though the Reds reported
they had destroyed 43 blockhouses and
18 dugouts with artillery fire in the
Leningrad area
BY Thursday the trend of the fighting
was definitely in favor of the Reds, who
struck with great vigor in the area north
and east of Orel where many villages
were recaptured Even the Berlin radio
admitted that the Russian offensive had
broken through German lines and made
some progress, although it was claimed
that counterattacks had restored the
line. The Germans excused the Russian
success by stating that it was attained
by sheer weight of numbers Down at
Belgorod the Russians held the massed
assault for the second successive day
without gain. Many tanks and planes
were destroyed in the fighting and Ger
man casualties were placed at $4,000
killed and 1000 taken prisoner.
Friday as the battle went into it's 18th
day, the Russians reported that 10 Ger
man divisions were reeling back through
the forests along a front extending from
81 miles north of Orel to Is miles east.
AS the line sagged in the north Germans
defending Orel were in danger of being
trapped in a pocket. The Russians were
only 18 miles from the vital Briansk-
Orel railroad and % miles from the citv
itself.
German losses. according to Russian
claims had reached the serious total of
$4,000 killed or captured and 3,O52 tanks
and 1885 planes destroyed. The belief
grew that Germany's last full-scale effort
to defeat Russia was underway and going
badly.
AS the week closed a Russian COM
munlque stated that II Nazi counter
attacks at Orel had been beaten off and
that the Red Army had moved forward
an additional 6 to 10 miles.