Russians Lose Three Towns

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23364, 25 June 1941, Page 7

Russians Lose Three Towns

ADVANCE SAID TO BE COSTLY (united phess association—copyright.) (Received June 24, 11.15 p.m.) LONDON, June 24. Moscow admits the loss in Soviet Poland of BrestLitovsk, Kolno, and Lomza, but claims that yesterday the Germans in one battle lost 300 tanks. The Russians also say that in the first two days of fighting they have destroyed 128 aeroplanes and captured 5000 prisoners. The Russian communique says: "During yesterday the enemy unsuccessfully directed his main effort towards Siauliai, Kaunas, Grodno, Wolkowysk, Kobryn, Vladimir Volynsk, Rawa Ruska, and Brody. (All the towns from Siauliai to Brody are on a line from Lithuania to the south of Poland.) The enemy in the morning pierced our territory in the directions of Siauliai and Rawa Ruska, but was driven back beyond the state frontier. Our artillery fire in the Siauliai area destroyed 300 tanks. ""The enemy forced our covering units near Bialystok and Brest-Litovsk to withdraw after severe fighting, and occupied Kolno, Lomza, and BrestLitovsk. "Our air force and anti-aircraft guns shot down 52 German aeroplanes. We took prisoner 5000 officers and men. Seventy-six German aeroplanes were shot down on Sunday." The Germans claim that in addition N to capturing Brest-Litovsk they destroyed the Russian forts round the town. The Berlin radio*says there is no sign of the Red Army, which is completely routed. German horse cavalry is storming on in spite of Russian snipers in the villages. • * The Russians are burning all farm houses and villages and are destroying supplies, but German supply units are already on the spot and labour battalions are repairing demolitions, widening roads, and establishing better communications. Another German report says that one German - column has been advancing two miles and a half an - jiour since crossing the Bug river. It found that the Russians had left bridges intact because they were not strong enough to carry heavy vehicles.

1 Besides the German offensive against fce Soviet on the Polish front along the river Bqg, there would appear to be threedrain German attacks, the first iJiarfinland to Leningrad, the second 'liontßast Prussia to Moscow, and the ttSdcirom Rumania to the Ukraine. Se attack on Leningrad is being | across the Karelian , Isthmus, Si' was the battleground between a and Finland 18 months ago. ■. The drive from East Prussia is being s4de across the former Baltic States Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. Bearding the third movement, Ruslian troops are reported to be evacuating Bessarabia under cdver of a delaulvc screen along the Pruth river. A stand may be made along the Dniester, which was the old Russian . Rumanian frontier line. " li'seml-offidal communique from Berlin quoted by Reuter states that the Germans made the first tactical advance by surprising the Russian forces matching to the frontier. The Germans have already won considerable territory at several points. Both armies are reported to be massing large numbers of troops, and great times are to be expected when the Gennan forces come Into contact with the;maln body of the Red Army. - Other messages say that the advance the Polish sector is reported to have

| the lees of Brest-Litovsk, Lomza, > Kolno Is admitted by the | *)MBlans. Lomza is 45 miles west f oftßUlystok and Kolno fa 15 miles ; |:;flww*weßt of Lomza, just inside j- W', border from East Prussia. ■ljrt fte Germans in possession of fghwno, Bialystok, Brest-Litovsk, and :«rystynopol. In the Bukovina and .’Bessarabia, the Germans and Ru>jtotokms claim that the advance to•Jjjjsros the old Russian-Rumanian ’ffontlgf Continues, but the Russians are holding their own Attacks at Cernauti. >MtoJ!-!o.hand fighting is progressing in Bessarabia. List has left this sector and oyer command of the biggest Tffiffroah concentrations, which are m Poland and Slovakia, supports the Turkish belief that ifglMlialn German thrust will skirt ijljPtfe Moldavia to the Ukraine and go JjwWlfid to the Caucasus. The Turks Mjclwre that a complementary thrust ¥'22? be by sea to Batum, with a cover■MWihttack against the Crimea. airges are already assembled at the jßquths of the Danube. The German ijgWblng, apart from local support for ill/land forces, emphasises xhe imfPWfance the High Command attaches ppthese regions. Heavy air attacks faWW made on Russian Black Sea ilws yesterday, the Germans, claimIPfOiits on important naval targets, injgybding the submarine base at Sebasllifhe' Warsaw., Krakow, and Breslau are ceaselessly appealing to the IStoidnlans and White Russians to loin Germans marching against Kiev Sw Minsk, and the Germans’ former ffiprainlan "government” with M. as hetman (chief). He Pp the hetman under the German iIPMIon of the Ukraine In 1917. , : WjK German force is stated, to have Sgtadisd at Riga, in Latvia, The, Gerjjwtos can count on, a friendly welcome UPOm the. populations of the Baltic states, and for this reason they are Klhg Estpnian, Latvian, and LithuanHwjp/ detachments, which have bedn BRiining under German officers since ■Phr results' of reported risings in m doubtftd.

The Russians claim that the Estonian revolt has been crushed, and Wilhelmstrasse has denied knowledge of a Lithuanian coup. It had been reported that Lithuania had declared her independence and formed a new government, under M. Skirpa, a former Minister to Germany; but Wilhelmstrasse officials said that M. Skirpa was detained in Berlin. The Riga radio announced that the Russians have placed the town under martial law, imposing a curfew from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. A report from Berlin said that 60,000 armed Latvians had revolted, inflicting serious losses on the Russians, and destroying roads and bridges and occupying arms factories. / The Russian Tass News AgenCy declared that Kaunas is completely calm and that thousands are volunteering to fight against the Germans. The Russians, in addition to using troop-carrying aircraft which yesterday were reported to be over 40 points in Germany and German-occupied territory, are employing amphibian A German correspondent describing the crossing of the Bug said: “We did not know what these strange-shaped monsters were until we knocked out three. We found that they are fitted with propellers. They are of a very light type, which our anti-tank guns easily pierced.” , , According to the Ankara correspondent of the “Evening Standard” the Russians are extensively using parachutists, many of whom had been dropped at various points for the purpose of sabotage behind the German lines. . , _ . Heavy German air attacks on Leningrad, Sebastopol, and other important centres are reported, with heavy losses of Soviet aircraft.

The latest German communique claims that operations against the Red Army are progressing favourably and according to plan. It adds that German E-boats penetrated Soviet coastal waters in the eastern Baltic, sinking one patrol boat and four merchant ships. ' The Official German News Agency states that Russian naval forces in ports of the Black Sea have been attacked by air. It is admitted that the Russians put up a strong defence. Oil depots were set on Are. A Swedish newspaper correspondent states that the Russian troops are retiring all along the front. The Moscow radio has warned the Russians to prepare for ruthless attacks by the "German air bandits." Shelters must be established immediately wherever they are needed and must be made gasproof. “Our enemy is bloodthirsty and cruel, but his attacks will not remain unpunished," it was stated. The Moscow radio to-day gave a long summary of Mr Churchill’s address. Not unnaturally it omitted his references to Communism, but it quoted hisT words about Britain’s assistance verbatim. Herr Hitler’s attack on Russia is interpreted in some quarters, states a message from Ankara, as an open confession that Germany’s supply situation is so serious that she must obtain Russian commodities if she is to wage a long war against Britain.

“NOT AT WAR” FINLAND AND RUSSIA (Received June 24, 7 p.m.) LONDON, June 23. Russia and Finland insist that they are not at war, and Russia has promised to consider the protest which the Finns have made against the bombing of objectives in Finland. . It is believed that this situation was explained by the Finnish Minister in London (M. Gripenberg) in an interview with the Foreign Secretary (Mr R. A. Eden) to-day. y Spain and Russia.— According to the Berlin correspondent of a Zurich newspaper* Spam Has asked Germany for leave to send an auxiliary corps-to fight'the Russians.—London, June 23.

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BRITISH AID TO RUSSIA

MAISKY AGAIN SEES EDEN “HELP WILL BE ACCEPTED ON BUSINESS BASIS” (Received June 24, 1.30 p.m.) (U.P.A.) LONDON, June 24. Britain’s assistance to Russia, apart from air attacks in the west, v/as discussed when the Soviet Ambassador (M. Maisky) again visited the Foreign Secretary (Mr R. A. Eden). “ ‘Any help will be gladlv accepted on a business basis with payment for goods and services,’ was the Soviet’s reply to the British offer of help which M. Maisky gave Mr Eden,” says the diplomatic correspondent of “The Times.” “Britain has learned more than any country about German methods of warfare, and the pooling of information quickly would be the best preparation for more practical help. It would not be surprising, therefore, to see a technical mission going to Moscow.

“Russia chiefly lacks machine tools and oil-drilling apparatus, which America might supply, but clearly the fighting in the next fortnight will determine the nature and scope of the help and whether it should be given on a long-term or short-term basis.” The political correspondent of the “Daily Express” says when Sir Stafford Cripps went to Moscow last year he carried a letter from Mr Churchill to M. Stalin pointing out the peril of the growing German strength and urging co-operation by Russia with the Allies. M. Stalin then expressed his conviction that Herr Hitler would turn on Russia when it suited him.

Sir Stafford Cripps recently formed the impression that an attack against Russia was imminent, and consequently he returned to London with a report. Turkish reports state that a British military mission is going to Moscow from Egypt to co-ordinate the British and .Russian war efforts. The American Ambassador in London (Mr John G. Winant) to-day called on M. Maisky and afterwards conferred with Mr Eden.

GERMANY’S AIMS IN RUSSIA TURKEY’S INQUIRY PUBLIC FEELING SAID TO BE AGAINST SOVIET (Received June 24, 11.15 p.m.) LONDON, June 24. The Independent French News Agency says that Turkey has asked Germany to define her aims regarding Russia, particularly the territories of the Caucasus. The Istanbul correspondent of “The Times” says that whatever the official attitude, the Turkish people’s suspicion of Russian designs against Turkey have undoubtedly revived, and the public feeling to-day, if not pro-Ger-man, is certainly overwhelmingly antiRussian.

SWEDISH PRESS COMMENT NEARNESS OF WAR DEPLORED LONDON, June 23. The Swedish press generally deplores the nearness of war to .Sweden. The Stockholm newspaper “Aftonbladet” declares: “It is incomprehensible and unpardonable that Britain should have refused to participate in the united front against the Sovietised East. There is no doubt of the outcome of the Russian-German war, in view of the strength of Germany, Finland, and Rumania. The Berlin correspondent of the “Aftonbladet” . states that political quarters there declare that the question for Sweden is whether she .will travel first class or in the luggage van in ■ the new Europe. “This is Sweden’s last chance. She must act rapidly and without hesitation,” he The Berlin correspondent of a Swiss newspaper quotes German political leaders as saying that Sweden will be forced to join the Axis. The correspondent states that Herr Hitler, after he issued his proclamation, intended to make a speech to the Reichstag, but the meeting was cancelled at the last moment. A Vichy news agency message from Stockholm states that all Swedish Army, Navy, and Air Force leave has been cancelled. Another source states that all Swedish ships have been ordered to return home.

POLAND’S VIEW OF ATTACK GENERAL SIKORSKI’S STATEMENT (8.0. W.) RUGBY, June 23. Poland’s standpoint in the face of the sudden onslaught by Germany on Russia was outlined in a speech to night by the Polish Prime Minister (General Sikorski), after consultation with the Polish Cabinet. General Sikorski stated that the shattering of the Nazi-Bolshevik combination was very favourable to Poland. , ... “Germany has torn asunder their alliance, which for so long has been the source of our greatest misfortunes. The Polish-Russian question, which might have shadowed many friends of ours in the west, I believe may disappear from international politics.” General Sikorski went on to say that the Polish nation was entitled to assume that Russia would cancel the pact with Germany of 1939 which countenanced . the dissolution of Poland. " , , General Sikorski added that to-day “fighting Poland” is on the side of Britain in Britain and Africa, and he concluded by emphasising the importance of the fact that three days ago Mr Roosevelt signed a bill placing Poland on the official list of nations actively engaged in war and possessing the right to share in the LeaseLend Act ,

HUNGARY’S PART “WILL STAND WITH GERMANY” (Received June 24, 11 p.m.) LONDON. June 24. A report from Budapest received at Istanbul declares the Hungarian army la participating in the operations with the Germans, without a declaration of W Another Budapest message says it is officially announced that Hungary has broken off relations with Russia. The official Hungarian news agency announced that Hungary’s foreign nolicy is in accordance with the interests of the country and of the new order in Europe. The Hungarian people would, stand, with Germany in Russia