RUSSIANS' TERRIFIC TOLL OF INVADERS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 206, 1 September 1941, Page 7

RUSSIANS' TERRIFIC TOLL OF INVADERS

ADVANCE HALTED

Heavy Air Battle Rages On Leningrad Front ''.I*. V an.l n-ii:-M Wir>>--Rec. 1 p.m. I .ON DON. Aug :>.l. Although no notable territorial pains are recorded at any point on the eastern front in the last J! hours, fierce fighting continues in several important sectors, but the exact position is not easily identified. For instance, for many days both sides have referred to the centre front, but without indicatinp how far north from Kiev. The Germans are still trying to develop their recent successes from Gomel, where they claim an advance of 30 miles. The German.; admit repeated Russian counter-attack.-, sometimes indicating that those haw been across the Dnieper at poin's below Kiev, suggesting that the Ru< sians still hold some bridgeheads on the right bank. Although the Dnieper represent.the front line below Kiev, the midd'v front cannot be accuratelv plotted except that it lies eastwards of Gomel. Smolensk. Veliki. Yeltiki to Lake Ilmen. its nio-t easterlv pone t ration being in the direction of Moscow, between Smolensk and 1 Viazma. Counlri'-Attarks Thwart The counter-ofTensives mentioned by Moscow are mostly in this sector. The Times' Stockholm correspondent says that, however successful the counter-attacks have been, there is nothing to show that they have j I been more than locally important.! and have been undertaken with \h? ] object of thwarting the German-, i I who generally retain the initiative land have not yet exhausted their striking power. j I The Moscow radio slated that .German offensive on the centra! fron: had been completely halted, and the I German drive at Moscow roiled back .with terrific Nazi losses. A German _ spokesman admitted that the Nazi forces in the Leninjgrad sector were meeting with I 1 "tenacious opposition in difficult tc: -' rain and intensive fortifications." i Contrasting with the German an- i nouncement on Friday, the Kcriin i radio, in referring to the capture of | Tallinn, capital of Estonia, said several damaged ships lay in the t harbour, while the masts of sunken ! ships were stuck out of the water. j The German communique states [ that Finnish troops annihilated Soviet forces in the area around j Wiipuri and recaptured the town ' itself on Saturday. Finnish units ' advancing in the direction of LeninIgrad from the Karelian Isthmus 'gained considerable ground. Kiev Salient Is Firm j The Russian midday communique . •reports fierce fighting with the! enemy on the whole fiont. The Ger-! mans have made no fresh claim, and ( l it is felt in London that it is obvious ' : the Germans have made no further) rapid advance, and that the result' jof the terrific fighting south of Gomel ; •is still undecided, although it is 1 j possible the Germans may have made some progress in an effort to j ,cut ofT the Kiev salient and endan-I jger the Russian lines ( >f communica- • tion east of the Dnieper, in the i regions between Dnepropetrovsk jand Kiev. | j Although there is no confirmation I that the Germans have taken Tallinn. circumstantial reports are being . ; received of the burning of the Esto- , Inian capital and of bitter street, fighting. i The Russian overnight commn- ' nique states that stubborn fighting ! continues on the whole front and adds that on Thrtsday 29 German planes were shot down for the loss of 10 Soviet planes. On Wednesdav. according to verified reports. 60 German planes were destroyed, not -41 ' as previously reported. The enemy has increased his air pressure in the Leningrad area where, however, he has met with equally fierce resistance. During an attack on one Soviet aerodrome in this area on . Wednesday 2." German planes were 1 shot down. The Germans failed to J find a single Soviet plane on the ground.