FURIOUS THRUSTS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 212, 8 September 1941, Page 7

FURIOUS THRUSTS

IN MAIN SECTORS

Both Sides Losing Heavily In Men And Machines U P.A. anti British Wireless. Rec. 2 p.m. RUGBY, Sept. 7. The situation on the Russian frontier at the week-end seems to be that furious fignting continues along the whole front. The Russians are stubbornly contesting Smolensk, the German advances west and south of Leningrad, and between Gomel and Bryansk, also attempts to cross the lower, Dnieper and assaults on the bastions of Kiev and Odessa.

The Russians, moreover, are not confining themselves to stationary defence, but are continually making strong counter-attacks. Both sides must be suffering seriously in men, tanks and aircraft, but, though it is still impossible to say whether the Germans are on the way to gaining decisive successes in the present offensives, they apparently are still continuing to press the Russians back in important sectors. Not only are the great industrial area and port of Leningrad and the Russian naval position in the Baltic threatened by the furious offensive in the north, but the main Russian industrial regions in the Eastern Ukraine and south of Moscow are in danger through the German thrusts eastwards from Gomel.

The Berlin radio to-night claimed that severe attacks made against the Russian positions and troop concentrations south of Lake Laodga had caused immense losses of men and materials.

A Finnish communique claims that after three days' fighting between Lake Onega and Lake Ladoga the Finns reached Suojarvi, representing an advance of 50 miles. Soviet Planes Protect Odessa An indication that the Russian air force is hitting back sternly at Odessa is contained in a report from neutral sources, that "although Odessa's seven aerodromes are unusable for bases Russian planes come and go rrom the Crimea without pause."

The Red Star, the Red Army's newspaper, reports that the Black Sea fleet, participating in the defence of Odessa, successfully shelled enemy troop concentrations.

Kiev continued to resist as defiantly as Odessa, although some reports indicate heavier German pressure against Kiev from the west.

The German offensive in the Dnieper bend apparently has been relaxed, and it is suggested that the Germans are possibly awaiting a fall in the level of the Dnieper as a result of the blowing up of the Dnieper dam, thus narrowing the river and simplifying the crossing.

According to a Stockholm report, German claims of progress on the central front refer to considerable gains eastwards from Velikie Luki, where Berlin suggests the Germans will shortly reach the source of the Volga River.

Meanwhile Moscow reports further successes in local operations in the direction of Gomel. At one point a Russian rifle division, after overcoming considerable resistance, recaptured a number of large villages.

Russian dive-bombers are reported to have wrecked military bridges across the Khama River and drowned hundreds of Germans.

The Russians claim that on Thursday alone 15,000 German officers and men were killed, over 100 guns were destroyed and great quantities ot' other equipment put out of action. In the last three days one Russian battalion on the left bank of the Dnieper has foiled four German attempts to build a pontoon bridge*. The last two efforts cost the livss of 500 sappers and infantrymen.

The Russians claim that 117 German aeroplanes have been destroyed in the last two days. A group of German aeroplanes which attempted to attack anti-aircraft guns in a wood fled after 14 had been shot down.

TRADE MISSION German Experts Arrive In Turkey LIB KRAI; CREDITS OFFERED Rec. 2 p.m. NEW YORK, Sept. 7. The National Broadcasting Corporation's, Ankara representative states that Dr. Clodius (the German economic expert), has arrived at Istanbul with 12 experts. He is understood to be offering liberal credits for Turkish imports from Germany, and is seeking to purchase all Turkey's exports. But Dr. Clodius knows that the transport difficulties and Turkey's contracts with Britain and America make a trade deal practically impossible. Therefore, politically, his visit is most interesting.

UNITY OF WORKERS SOVIET WELCOMES MOVES Rec. 1.30 p.m. LONDON, Sept. 7. M. Shvernik. secretary of the Central Council of Trade Unions, told Press representatives in Moscow that Russian trade unions welcome British trade union moves aimed at closer collaboration, particularly at the establishment of a common t-:ade u''-ion council.