LITTLE CHANGE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 171, 22 July 1941, Page 7

LITTLE CHANGE

INVADERS CHECKED? Extravagant Nazi Claim Not Accepted V.P.A. and British Wircaess. Rec. 2 p.m. LONDON, July 21,

Despite violent battles on the four main sectors of the front, the Russian night communique again claims no important change. The fact that neither side has mentioned new place names recently appears to confirm this statement. It is noticed also that the Russians for the second time mention bad weather. The Germans, after a month's fighting, at present are about 100 miles from Leningrad, 200 miles from Moscow and 128 miles from Kiev in their main thrusts, and as far as is known, at no point have they made a breach in the Russian Armies on a great scale since the battle of Bialystok, which opened up the way to Smolensk. Fighting in the main areas still continues with unabated severity. A broadcaster from Germany to the United States summarised the German view as being that Russia's righting power had been finally destroyed. Another broadcast to Spain said the Russians could not now even retreat in order. There is nothing in what has happened since Juiy 12 to justify those extravagances. In fact, the Russians have been and are fighting stubbornly everywhere.

"Complicated Preparations'* An earlier report stated that there was no vital change on the RussoGerman front over the week-end. German sources do not appear to be expecting immediate sensational developments, and are busily harping on the German High Command's long-range policy, which they point out requires extensive and complicated preparations, although they declare the Russians are retreating everywhere. A correspondent of "The Times" on the German frontier says that, in spite of all their advances, the Germans are not appreciably nearer their goals, while they have suffered appalling losses of men, mechanised units and materials. Transport difficulties are increasing, and the whole situation is stated to be raising serious misgivings in Germany about the worth of the campaign and the ultimate outcome of the war. Hitler is known to have sent 25 of his 30 armoured divisions to the east, and at least seven of them are already out of action.