POWERFUL COUNTERATTACK LAUNCHED

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 211, 6 September 1941, Page 7

POWERFUL COUNTERATTACK LAUNCHED

UNNAMED SECTOR

Succession Of Villages Retaken By Red Army

British Omoial Wiretes«. Rec. noon. RUGBY, Sept. 5. News of a successful Russian counter-attack in an unspecified sector of the front, is contained in a supplement to the midday Soviet communique, stating: "In the fierce fighting our troops attacked the 263 rd Infantry Division, which held the height of Bokovo and its approaches. In severe attacks our men took one village after the other, and the German losses were very heavy. With the help of our artillery our troops reached the height of Bokovo.

The morale of the German troops was very low. In one village our men came behind the German lines, and the German soldiers fled without resistance. We took many prisoners and much ammunition. German soldiers who were taken prisoner state-l that in this fighting, which had lasted six days, half the German officers were killed. This German division, the prisoners stated, had lost 7000 men killed, wounded and prisoners. The remainder of this division had been sent to the rear for reorganisation."

News of further successes by the Red Air Force, which the Germans claimed to have virtually destroyed after the first few days of the war, is also contained in a supplementary communique: "In the central sector our air squadrons attacked concentrations of German tanks very successfully. The Germans lost 80 tanks, 60 armoured cars, 200 horses and 1000 men. On their return flight our squadrons met a German air squadron and destroyed in battle four Messerschmitts and two Heinkels."

Soviet Successes In Baltic No changes on the Eastern front are reported in the Russian communique, which states: "Our troops yesterday continued to engage the enemy along the entire length of the iront Our aircraft on Tuesday destroyed 52 enemy planes in air combats and on the ground. Our losses were 28. In the Baltic our aircraft and torpedo motor boats attacked transports and enemy coastal vessels. One transport and a coastal vessel were sunk by torpedoes while two transports, after being severely damaged, ran aground."

A supplement to the communique one of the many unsuccessful German attempts to cross the unieper. Many German casualties were suffered. German infantry attempted to cross the Dnieper during the night, but were discovered in due time by Soviet scouts, and the river crossing was lit up by flares. Machine-guns opened up and huncireas of dead were left on the banks ana in the river. At dawn the soviet patrols reported that German Pioneers were trying to cross the iiver again five kilometres further uown. Soviet artillery opened a bombardment and the Germans repeated, leaving 200 dead.

The supplementary communique a iso gives further details of successactivities by partisan groups operating in White Russia behind ••a Ger man lines, and says:— According to reports from only a ipw partisan groups, they killed in ne second half of August 960 Geri.nan officers and men and destroyed ;/ tai V ls ' five armoured cars, four -uns, 20 machine-guns, nine mo. ':ars. _ lorries, eight motor cars, 380 cycles and 220 other vehicles, v-ith fuel. Daring the same period

they captured and hid in the woods about 1000 rifles, 14 lorries with foodstuffs, 243 cases of cartridges and 96 hand grenades. They shot down or destroyed on the ground two bombers and three fighters.

Guerillas' Victory "One partisan detachment attacked a German motorised column several kilometres to. the north-west of Narovec. Twelve lorries with ammunition had to stop owing to engine trouble. The crew used the interval to have breakfast. The partisans approached noiselessly and the first salvo accounted for nine Germans. The Germans took to their arms and the partisans attacked with hand grenades. Several more Germans were killed, then the enemy ceased fire and surrendered. The partisans blew up all the motor cars and disappeared."