Pursuing The Enemy

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 205, 30 August 1941, Page 1 (Supplement)

Pursuing The Enemy

RUSSIAN CAVALRY . SMASH HERMAN LINES

CENTRAL SECTOR

Swift Successes Against Infantry lulled Press Association.—Cmpyrig-ht. Rec. 5 p.m. LONDON, August 29. General Konieff's army in the central sector has already pierced the German's hurriedly organised second defence fcne. According to dispatches of the Red Star, the journal of the Red Army, several points which the enemy had carefully prepared for defence have been recaptured.

The Germans are now retreating in scattered groups, leaving their weapons, ammunition and dead and wounded on the battlefield, with the Russians close on their heels.

The Berlin correspondent of the Swedish Dagens Nyheters, says General Konieff is now flinging in detachments of cavalry against the German infantry.

The Soviet War News states that General Konieff's units have captured documents containing an order from the commander of the 336 th German Infantry Regiment, stating: "Gur task is to hold our position against the Russian assault without the support of large numbers of artillery and aircraft. Everyone must realise this urgent necessity."

The Russian High Command has thrown in heavy air reinforcements in the north sector in an effort to back Marshal Voroshiloff's pledge that the Germans shall not set foot in Leningrad.

The Daily Express Stockholm correspondent says scores of Russian bombers and fighters to-day made the heaviest attack yet on the advancing Germans, bombing and machine-gunning tank and infantry columns in ceaseless sweeps.

There is only meagre information concerning the progress of land fighting in the north sector, but referring to the fierce battles between Narva and Luga, the Berlin radio has virtually admitted that the German thrust towards Leningrad from the west is being held. The Daily Telegraph's Stockholm correspondent says the Russians' most important counter-stroke has begun between Kholm and Toropets, where powerful forces have been flung in in an attempt to break through to Pskov and Ostrov, thus threatening the flank of Von Leeb's armies advancing, on Leningrad. It is reported from Berlin that the Germans are taking desperate steps to deal with the undeniably serious menace of the major battle at present developing between the Lovat and Lista Rivers. Evacuation of Tallinn The same correspondent says the majority of the Russian warships at Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, and Paldiski escaped to Kronstadt. The Russians evacuated 40,000 to 50,000 troops from Tallinn after warehouses and other quay buildings had been blown up. The evacuation was carried out from the blazing city under .continuous bombardment, while tanks fought in the streets and planes battled overhead. The German losses in the advance and capture of Tallinn are estimated at 30,000.

The Soviet admission that Dnepropetrovsk has been evacuated, thus ending the fighting for the right bank of the Dnieper elbow, comes a fortnight after the extravagant German claim that the main body of Marshal Budenny's forces in the southern Ukraine was either encircled or broken up and no longer organised as a fighting force. It is clear that a large proportion of the Russians had ample time to withdraw across the Dnieper and is now firmly established on the east bank.