New German Drive

Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 37, 12 August 1941, Page 7

New German Drive

ATTACK ON LENINGRAD RENEWED

LONDON, August 11. The Germans on the Eastern Front have renewed their drive on Leningrad and are threatening the Black Sea port of Odessa. With the third German offensive against Russia raging from Leningrad to the neighbourhood of Odessa, the full weight of the German land and air forces is being thrown into the drive in the Ukraine, and the Russians report fighting around Byelaya-Tserkov and Uman. The Germans claim to be making rapid progress. Their drive is aimed at the Black Sea coast, and is a real threat to the big port of Odessa. There is no sign of a break^in Russian resistance, and though German advanced units may have pushed forward towards Nikolaiev, north-east of Odessa,1 the main fighting- still seems to be around Uman. It is another great battle in depth, and military observers in Berlin say that more German divisions than ever before have been thrown into the struggle. They admit that a decision must be reached this week, otherwise the offensive will come to a standstill.

Further north there is little ;hange in the situation, although fierce fighting is still going on. The Russians reported" fighting yesterday between Smolensk and Leningrad and west of Lake Ilmen, the most southerly of Leningrad's water defences. The Germans claim a success in this area, but there is no confirmation from Moscow. There is no fresh news from the Finnish front. Behind the German lines the guerrillas continue to keep up their pressure, and particulars are given of a cavalry group operating deep in the enemy's rear. The group carried out a surprise attack on German infantry detachments. t The Moscow communique tells how,

when the 48th German Regiment came up to the front, the cavalry decided to attack it. Part of the squadron obviously moved off to the marshes. The Germans attempted to surround it, but they were bogged. Then the cavalry started to counter-attack and a German company was completely destroyed. The Russians then split up the rest of the regiment and managed to surround and destroy several groups. Many of the Germans surrendered, and the force suffered about 500 casualties. The remnants of the regiment were thrown back several miles. The Russian air force continues pounding the enemy panzer troop's and infantry, and the Germans, in their operations against Moscow, > are reported to have lost 20 aircraft in 36 hours.