SLOWED DOWN

Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 32, 6 August 1941, Page 7

SLOWED DOWN

NAZI DRIVE AT KIEV

EVIDENCE OF COMMUNIQUES

(Rec. 1.30 p.m.) LONDON, August 5. The new German pincer drive against Kiev appears to have greatly slowed down if it has not been fully checked. For the third successive day the Soviet communique announced fighting in the directions of Korosten and Byelaya-Tserkov. Berlin correspondents of Swedish newspapers suggest that the German High Command is specially emphasising the "Ukraine drive in order to give the German public the impression that operations have terminated in the Smolensk area and is making the same claims of successful encirclements in the Kiev region as it made in the early days of the drive against Smolensk.

The Germans similarly promise enormous captures of men and material. The Russians, however, persistently refuse to "lie down" in the Smolensk sector, in which hostilities are covered by Russian communiques in the familiar phrase, "continued I fighting.", i It is not yet clear whether the 'switch of German attention from Smolensk to the south —and to a lesser extent to the north—indicates a determination to develop fresh major drives in these areas or merely constitutes a diversion while the Germans are massing for a greater effort in the centre. . CLAIMS BY BERLIN. A special German communique states: "German forces in the Smolensk enclosure yesterday continued the an- j nihilation of the encircled Soviet forces. The Russian troops, using some tanks, finally made a desperate effort to break out, but collapsed under the German fire. "The enemy forces encircled and i confined to a small area in the Ukraine' failed in attempts to break through and were partly wiped out. During an extension of the front 63 miles | south-east from Smolensk, we made a surprise attack, partly encircled and partly destroyed a new formation of enemy forces."

The Hungarian communique says: "Hungarian troops have reached the River Bug. Operations are proceeding according to plan. Figures of prisoners and war material captured are still growing."

Moscow radio, describing the .destruction of the 253 rd German infantry division, stated that 2250 officers and men were killed, and 24 field guns, 29 mortars, 47 lorries, and 90 motor-cycles, and also the division's supply train were captured.

Five hundred Germans are said to have been killed during the rout of the 111 th mechanised regiment.