FINNISH CAMPAIGN

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 252, 6 August 1941, Page 8

FINNISH CAMPAIGN

DISAPPOINTED WITH GERMANS. / SMALL SCALE OF ATD AFFORDED (United Press Association—Copyright.) LONDON-August 5. Writing of the Finnish campaign against Leningrad, the correspondent of - “The Times’.? .points'..'out that the Finns opened the campaign with an offensive against. Kexholm, on the west side of Lake Ladoga, and a, thrust to

Pitkaranta, on the east shore, hoping ■ to envelop the largo Russian forces, ibutliHb ’Finns have failed to capture Kexholm and the Russians have maintained possession of the coastal strip. •-He- adds that the Finns are disappointed at the small scale of German help.- :The Germans have only five divisions in Finland, of which the majority are stubk in the northern mud, while -the brunt of the most vital fighting 'is falling on the Finns, who are believed to have 300,000 men in the field.

Tii# appalling toll of the Russian campaign has cast the shadow of death over many families throughout the Reich, says the correspondent of “The Times” on the German frontier. The crowded columns of death notices represent" only a fraction of the total number killed, while the fact that official casualtv lists are not published

has intensified ..the public’s uncertainty and anxiety.’ The obituary notices show some families have lost all their males. It. is openly admitted that some marriages have been hurriedly contracted for the,purpose of keeping the family name alive. Women in all cities noticeably. outnumber men. ! Those who are said to have reliable information say that the Germans are using 300,000 tons of petrol a day on the Eastern Front. Much petrol is being lost or consumed before ..reaching the front, as every drop has to be transported by road. This additional consumption. of petrol is said to be placing an immense strain on German oil reserves. - Recently a convoy of five lorries

carrying petrol to the front, it is re-

ported, completed the journey with ' only three full loads. The petrol from the; other 'two .trucks was used on the way.. The Germans again attempted a mass raid on Moscow last night. The Moscow radio stated that the raid failed, only two .machines penetrating tlie city’s defences. Some incendiary bombs, were dropped, but the city was not damaged. . Moscow had an air-raid warning from 11.35 p.m. on Sunday until 11.45 a.m. yesterday, according to an agency message. Several groups of German aeroplanes attempted to raid the city, fiut oni|y ’.single bombers broke through. The others were repulsed by night fighters and anti-aircraft guns. Several fires broke out, affecting private dwellings, but these were rapidly .extinguished. . No military objectives were hit.

‘.‘The German attempts to bomb Leningrad have been even less successful than the raids on Moscow,” declares General Protsvetkin,* in an ■ajfticle’in “iPravda.” “Though the gaids began on the first day of the ?war and there have been several raids .by day or night, not a single bomb so far has fallen in the centre of Leningrad, Anti-aircraft guns, fighterg, and bailoohs"'have invariably stopped the

raiders at the outer defences.” Military, observers in Berlin admit that in the great battle for the Ulcrain..iah capital of Kiev, Russian troops are -attacking the,,German columns, ’..'-.'.'The Berlin' correspondent' of a Swiss

newspaper states that there is no sign of the itussian resistance weakening, and also that there are; no indications of the- Germans advancing.

. Further* south, the Germans claim that diverging columns are threatening.. the Black Sea port of Odessa. The Russians do not confirm this.

. A Helsinki observer, who is quoted ,i» Rome, states that the Germans have .launched a heavy attack of great vio--dence east of Lake Peipus.