ABSOLUTE FAILURE

Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 70, 19 September 1941, Page 5

ABSOLUTE FAILURE

ENEMY ATTACKS ON BRYANSK SOVIET COMMUNIQUES RUGBY. September 18. A Soviet communique states: "In the course of September 17 our troops continued stubborn fighting against the enemy along the whole front. ' "During September 15 78 German planes were destroyed in aerial combat and on enemy aerodromes. Our losses j were 25 aircraft." A supplementary Soviet communique refers to the recent fierce fighting in the Bryansk sector,, south-east of Smolensk, and states that German forces commanded by General Guderian lost 20,000 dead, wounded, and taken prisoner. The Russians captured large numbers of tanks, armoured cars, aeroplanes, and lorries. The communique says that General | Guderian lost two-thirds of his tanks during these attacks, and adds:' "The German attacks on Bryansk were an absolute failure. All the German attacks were repulsed." It further declared: "The German announcement.on September 16 that in the Lake Ilmen area 53,000 Soviet troops were taken prisoner is absolute- , ly untrue. The Germans are trying by such lies to draw the attention of the! German people away from their own losses. The Soviet losses were, in fact, 30.&00 killed, wounded, and taken prisoner. Furthermore, the Russians lost 42 guns, not 695 as claimed by the Germans. The German losses in this sector amounted to between 45,000 and 50,000."—8.0. W.