Evening star., 1943-05-06
BY EDDY GILMORE.

by EDD1 GlLMORE,
Associated Press War Correspondent
MOSCOW, May 6.-The Red
Army, hammering today at the
northeast approaches to Novo-
rosSlsk, has taken a dozen more
villages in the area in addition
to Krymskaya and nine other
towns which the Soviets an
nounced they captured yesterday
in smashing through the Kuban
Delta bulge toward the Black
Sea port.
One of the villages is about 9
miles northeast of Novorossisk in
the hilly marsh country through
which the Soviet troops are sweep
ing the Germans toward the sea in
drive gaining daily momentum.
Massive artillery barraees paved
the way for new thrusts and moved
down hundreds of German and Ru-
manian soldiers in the front lines
and in deeply fortified positions.
Soviet bombing planes sprayed
the Axis troops with bombs and
cannon fire as they tried to cling to
their defense points against the
mounting pressure. Bomber and
fighter planes also continued to
pound the German held railways
behind the front lines. Prisoners
poured back to the Soviet rear.
1000 Germans Killed.
The loss OF 1000 dead and of nu-
merous men captured in the last few
days has weakened the Axis forces.
but their strength probably remains
far from crushed. For weeks Hit
ler has been bringing up tanks and
munitions, possibly in preparation
for spring offensive in the Kuban.
The Berlin radio said German
forces had frustrated heavy Rus
sian attacks in the Kuban bridge
head. destroying 20 Soviet tanks,
and that they had halted several
sporadic thruStS made by the
Russians south of Novorossisk.
The broadcast was recorded by
the Associated Press
Two major gains were achieved by
the capture of Krymskaya. II miles
northeast of the former Russian
naval base.
1t poised the Red Army in a posi-
ton menaclng the city and it cut
the German-held railway between
NoVorossisk and Protoka. which is
SO miles northeast of the port. At
Protoka the railway connects with a
highway that leads westward to the
kerch Straits. across which lies the
Crlmean Peninsula. Protoka also is
junction for a railway that runs
northward to the Sea of Azov.
II the Red Army is able to drive a
short distance from krvmskaya to
Verkhny- -Bakansky. they will cut the
highway from Novorossisk to an
other seaport town, Anapa. % miles
northweStWard on the Black Sea
coast, just below the Taman PENN
sula
KlymSkaya. once a city of $4,000,
was taken in f1anking movement
the Russians said
1t was disclosed here that the
Paris Commune. flagship of the So
Wet Black Sea Fleet, and other pow
erful naval units are in the Black
Sea awaiting an opportunity to
pounce on any Nazi attempt to evac-
uate troops to the Crimea by sea.
Red Star. the Soviet Army news
paper. said the shelling by heavy ar
tillery made the Kuban horizon ap-
pear to be afire.
The roads in the Caucasus leading
up to the front were jammed with
trucks, tanks and troops moving
westward to throw the Germans into
the sea-
Russian Planes Raid KOtka.
Far to the north. the Firms
reported in their communicate as
broadcast by the Berlin radio and
recorded by the Associated Press.
that Russian planes in two waves
raided Kotka. on the Gulf of Fin
land east of Helsinki.
The war bulletin said five per-
sons were known to have been
killed by some of the bombers
that got through, although it
claimed antiaircraft defenses
forced most of the planes back
THE Firms intimated that
British and. American-made
planes were used by the Red Air
Force, saying two planes they shot
down were Boston" type bomb
bers. They said they found
Hurricane bomber, previously
damaged by Finnish fighter
planes, lin a completely destroy
ed state
Finnish planes raided supply
dumps and railway stations be-
hind the Russian lines, the COM
munique said.
"a British radio broadcast re-
corded by the Federal Communi-
cations Commission said the Rus
slams were using Flying Fort
resses on their big raids.)