“UBIQUITOUS MUD”

Evening Star, Issue 24002, 29 September 1941, Page 3

“ÜBIQUITOUS MUD”

CONDITIONS ON EASTERN FRONT GERMAN COMMUNICATIONS HAMPERED VEHICLES MANHANDLED FOR MILES Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, September 2G. . The Russians are tenaciously holding the ground along the Neva in spite of all onslaughts, says the correspondent of ‘ The Times ’ on the German frontier'.' The Gormans at Shlisselburg confess they are unable to force a crossing and a Russian counter-attack is developing successfully from Glukhov, threatening the German flank and favouring the escape of the encircled troops between Kiev and Kharkov. The Stockholm correspondent of ‘ The Times ’ says German reports about the Ukrainian fronts dwell on the übiquitous mud, which is hampering progress. One German account says that the men must often push, pull, and almost carry the vehicles mile after mile before they regain relatively firm ground. The negotiation of difficult places is frequentlyinterrupted by snipers and guerrillas. The ‘ Izvestia ’ declares that Germans and Rumanians besieging Odessa suffered at least 50,000 casualties in the first fortnight of September, but they have now changed their tactics and instead of using divisions of shock troops they are employing small groups from a company to a battalion. They have brought up considerable reinforcements in the past few days and have begun an intense artillery and aerial bombardment of the city.

A representative of the Baltic fleet, broadcasting over tbe Leningrad radio, states: “ Hango, Dago, and Osel ore holding out with impregnable, forces, and more than 13,000 Germans have perished in the assaults on Dago and Osel. The Baltic fleet is taking ail necessary steps for the defence of Leningrad. Our huge warships, the Marat and the October Revolution, continue to inflict heavy losses, and our submarines are active, dealing systematic blows on the enemy.” Italian war correspondents in Russia who are sobering_ up after exultation of Axis successes in the Ukraine admit the Germans are fhr from having conquered Leningrad’s external defences and the Russian Air Force had increased its numbers and activities along the whole front.

The correspondent of the ‘ Giornale d’ltalia.’ says: “Who can sav anything about the future of the Russian campaign ? The future is unpredictable.”