BATTLE FOR LENINGRAD

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23477, 4 November 1941, Page 7

BATTLE FOR LENINGRAD

BRIANS HOLDING GERMANS RECAPTURED POSITIONS FORTIFIED (Received November 3, 11.30 p.m.) LONDON, November 3. The correspondent of “The Times” on the German frontier says Marshal von Leeb’s armies, moving east from the Volkhov, are strenuously making an effort to cut Leningrad completely off from the rest of Russia. The Russians at Leningrad are not only holding the Germans, but are taking the offensive locally. It .is claimed that the Red Army has strongly fortified some recaptured positions end held them against German attempts to recover them. The Soviet Tass News Agency reports the destruction of a number of aeroplanes in a raid on an aerodrome from which the Luftwaffe has attempted frequent raids oh Leningrad. The Stockholm correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” says the Finns are driving toward Soroka from the south and from Uhtua. The advance is progressing with' amazing swiftness in spite of the strong fortifications, and the forces from the south are already bear Ondosero. In the Gulf of Finland, after a five months’ siege, the Russian garrison at Hanko is defending stubbornly, preventing the Germans from controlling the entire gulf and bottling up the Soviet fleet. The Moscow radio announced that the defenders of Hanko have sent the following message to Moscow: “Your struggle strengthens our spirit. The enemy tried to attack us from the air. He lost 48 aeroplanes. He stormed us from the sea, and he lost two destroyers, a patrol ship, submarines, motor torpedo-boats, barges, and scores of launches. The Germans and Finns furiously attacked us from the land and thousands perished. “We have repulsed all attacks and in bloody fighting we have occupied 17 strategic Finnish islands. The enemy is now trying to break our will by an artillery bombardment and a hurricane of mortar fire all day long. The Germans have hurled 350,000 shells ®nd mines at our peninsula m four months. The enemy is now sending hs leaflets imploring us to surrender and threatening to exterminate us. These efforts are also futile.” » radio estimates the Ger's since the war began at the first two weeks of the iscow. the German losses ns made the Italians anurkish, that Russian casnow 6.500,000.

WAR MATERIALS fob-Jrussia AT KARACHI (Received November 3, 10.30 p.m.) LONDON, November 3. The Bagdad correspondent of “The Times” says experiments are being made in landing war materials lor Russia at Karachi and railing them through Quetta to Zahidan ih Iran, and thence by road to Meshed, on the This route was used for the first consignment of jute and lead for Russia from India. The Russians take over the supplies at Meshed and forward them to the trans-Caspian railway or to Caspian ports. The route involves a long haul over a poor road, but its potential future strategic value Is great