The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-07-09
RUSSIANS GAINING In TITANIC CLASH
Hundreds Of 6O-Tonner
German Tanks Destroyed
BY HENRY SHAPIRO
United Press Staff Correspondent


Moscow, July 8 CUP -
Southern front dispatches res
ported today that hundreds
of Cotton German "Tiger"
tanks we're ablaze in the Bel
gorod Sector, rejecting a
growing belief that the Red
Army was gaining the upper
hand in the biggest armored
battle of all time. eve have
tanned the Terrible Tiger,
was the war cry ringing
through the field reports which said
Russian tanks had stormed into the
Titanic battle to reinforce Soviet
artillery, armor busters, and gre
nade-throWerS against the Nazis'
steel monsters.
The great armored battle swirled
through penetrated Soviet defenses
in the Belgorod region at the south
ern end of the laundering battle
line, where the Red Army was
throwing in every ounce of avail
able strength to stem the Nazi on
rush.
Rivers of Blood
(The British radio said Moscow
correspondents expected climax in
the battle within 48 hours. A Stock
holm report of the National Broad
casting Company said the Germans
admitted that "rivers of blood" had
been drawn from both sides)
AS the Soviets threw their arm
ored forces into a concerted effort
to close the Belgorod cheaches In
their positions and stop the long
delayed German summer offensive.
Red Army counter-attacks steadily
improved the situation to the north
in the Kursk- Belgorod region.
The fifth day of the offensive
brought a growing conviction in
Soviet quarters that the Russians
had mastered a technique for hand
ling the 6O-tonners spearheading the
German armored onslaught.
CA Rome broadcast said the Ger
mans already had achieved their
immediate objective of shortening
their line on the southern front
and forestalling possible Russian
offensive. The broadcast discount
ed reports that the fighting was
prelude to a general offensiveJ.s
british military experts said the
Soviet position in the Belgorod area
appeared "precarious', A German
broadcast said Axis forces pierced
the Russian line at so many points
that the defenses had been over
come in great depth and length).
Seeking to exploit their fourth
advance in as many days, the Ger
mans poured a constant stream of
tank and infantry reserves into the
preached Russian lines in a desper-
break through that might lead to
encirclement of huge Russian forces
in the Kursk Salient.
Even while their comrades gave
ground before the southern arm of
the giant German pincers, however.
Red armies 165 miles to the north
seized the initiative and blunted the
Axis northern spearhead with
shattering counter-atta that dis
Lodged the enemy from several
key points between Kursk and Orel.
Battles Fifth Day
The battle Of the southern front
went into its fifth day with the
Germans still stepping up the
tempo of their assault despite the
1ncc IF 10, y,1o
more than $4,000 men in four days
of some of the fiercest fighting OF
the entire war.
Groups of 20 to 80 tiger tanks
were spearheading the German at
tacks with twice that number Of
mobile guns, then lighter tanks and
infantry falling in behind to ex-
plot any penetration of the Rus
sian lines.
In many instances, the Russians
permitted the head column of Ii.
gers to advance and then resealed
their lines and destroyed the trapped
panvers. The Germans finally
Wedged the Soviet defenses near
Belgorod however, by sheer weight
of numbers, dispatches indicated.
Largest Tank Clash
When massed artillery fire failed
to halt the German advance, the
Soviets threw large tank forces of
their own into battle, touching Off
what may be one of the largest tank
clashes Of the war.
Big formations of dive -bombers
and other aircraft were supporting
the German offensive, including, one
Soviet report said, the bulk of the
Nazi Mediterranean air fleet and
other substantial forces from west
ern Europe.
The Russians still held superiority
in the air, however, and the wrecks
of hundreds of Nazi planes amid the
hulks of burned-out tanks Uttered
the battlefield.
Though stopped cold, the Ger
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