TERRIFIC STRUGGLE FOR BALTIC BASES

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 167, 17 July 1941, Page 8

TERRIFIC STRUGGLE FOR BALTIC BASES

AtU ILLILKi UULLb New Tank-Smashing Red Bomber United Press Association.—Copyright. Rec. 2.30 p.m. LONDON, July 16. The only comment on the general situation from the Berlin military spokesman is that operations are developing very favourably and the Germans are thrusting deeply into Russia. New and important results are claimed to he imminent. Correspondents assert that despite the fury of the German hammer blows in the Narva and Karelian Isthmus sectors, the invaders have been unable to disorganise the Russians. In making the Narva thrust the Germans are taking a serious risk of a devastating attack from the Russians in Estonia, who are athwart their left flank. The significance of a German victory at Narva would be that Russia would lose control of her Baltic bases.

ARTILLERY DUELS

It is reported from Stockholm that the Germans and Finns are preparing a powerful offensive against Hanko, the Russian naval base at the entrance to the Gulf of Finland. Heavy artillery duels are proceeding.

The latest Russian communique reports that the battle is continuing in the Rogachev sector and the Germans have been pushed farther west of the Dnieper. Over 1500 Germans were killed or wounded when the Russians recaptured a town. A retreating tank battalion was surrounded and destroyed.

Heavy fighting continued throughout the day in Pskov, Smolensk, Bobruisk and Novograd Volynsk sectors.

The German news agency claims the destruction of a large concentration of Russian artillery in a bitter engagement south of Vitebsk and the repulse of a strong Russian counter-attack south of Kiev. German motorised units, it says, advancing towards Leningrad, intercepted a Russian supply column a mile and a half long, and destroyed many vehicles.

The Stefani (Italian) news agency reports that Rumanian troops have entered Kishinev, but there is no confirmation of this.

The Berlin correspondent of the Swiss newspaper "Basle Nachrichten" says: The German correspondent's accounts of heavy Russian air attacks have caused surprise because the High Command had led the people to believe the Russian Air Force was smashed. The Russians claim to have achieved considerable success against German tanks with a new type of bomber equipped with a cannon firing a .8 armour-piercing shell. The latest bombing of Ploesti left the oilfield a huge sea of flames. Sulina and Tulcea were also bombed.

In a naval engagement in the Baltic, the Germans claim that E-boats sank a Russian destroyer and severely damaged a cruiser.