GREAT BATTLE IN THE UKRAINE

Evening Star, Issue 24004, 1 October 1941, Page 7

GREAT BATTLE IN THE UKRAINE

Leningrad Keeps Nazis At Bay Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright

(Received 1 p.m.) LONDON, September 30. News is anxiously awaited respecting Stockholm reports to the effect that the Germans have launched a big-panzer offensive from Kalanchak, which is being followed up immediately by a great airborne invasion of the Crimea. It is known that the Russians were previously warned regarding the German plans, and are fully prepared to resist the onslaught. Neutral sources state that the Crimea will be defended to the death in order to keep open the possibilities of a British landing against the German flank and rear once von Ruhdstedt’s armies have been sufficiently bled and spread-eagled.

General Timoshensko’s armies on the central front again attacked , the enemy on the night of September 28, recapturing more villages, while Leningrad’s defenders still keep the Germans an appreciable distance from .the city. The Moscow radio said a second R.A.P. squadron is now operating on the Soviet front in conjunction with the Soviet Air Force. In the sector in which the squadron is - operating 26 German planes were shot down within two days, of which the British got 17. Only one British and one Russian plane were lost during these operations.

The latest Russian communique reports that there has been fighting all day along the whole of the eastern front. Great battles are being fought in the Ukraine, with enormous losses. There is a big battle near the Crimea, but nowhere inside it.

An Italian correspondent' who has been with the German army is wondering whether Leningrad will ever fall. The city, he says, seems more impenetrable than ever. It was immensely fortified, and everyone in the city shared the soldiers’ rations. If there was danger of the city falling, one million would defend it from its houses. He could not tell whether the Luftwaffe was being gradually exhausted by Soviet fighters and the new British Hurricanes with their guns and cannons, but it was certain that the Russian anti-aircraft defences were extraordinarily powerful.

A German communique says; In operations east of the Dnieper Italian troops exterminated strong enemy forces and took several thousand prisoners.

The Associated Press Berlin correspondent reports that a 'Wilhclmstrasse commentator issued the warning that there would be little news from the eastern front during the next few days “ for certain reasons,” and added that a certain importance could be attached to German Press statements that the German campaign on the Eastern Front had run into winter. ‘ Pravda ’ states that yesterday and to-day Russian troops recaptured a number of villages in the Leningrad sector. The Berlin radio admitted Russian counter-attacks yesterday between Lake Ladoga and Lake Onega, also on the southern part of the front, where fierce battles were fought.

THE CENTRAL FRONT RECENT,FIGHTING DESCRIBED NAZI GENERAL'S PLANS FOILED LONDON, September 30. • Describing recent fighting on the central front. Major Auanayev, in an article in the ‘ Soviet War News,’ says: “ General Guderian’s advance against Bryansk was planned to coincide with an advance in Valdai Hills, where the German first tank group aimed to establish itself. General Guderian, who > is commander of the second tank group, aimed to ‘take lloslovl and develop a break-through towards Moscow between lloslovl and Bryansk. The extreme southern wing would swing south-east-wards and capture Kursk. Marshal Timoshenko’s counter-offensive defeated these intentions. Foiled in their attempts to take Bryansk from Roslovl, the Germans wheeled south audfattacked from Pochep. When this attempt also was defeated General Guderian turned still further southwards and tried a three-pronged attack, whereupon the Red Army garrison at Bryansk marched southwards along the Desna River and engaged General Guderian at Trubohevsk. “ The Germans retreated after several days of fighting, and gave the Russians _an opportunity for a counteroffensive, which they launched in several sectors. The Germans were beaten back all along the line between Pochep arid Novgorod-Seversk, and around Pochep dozens of villages were retaken. Thirteen German divisions participated in the battle, consisting of four motorised, five infantry, and four tank divisions. The tank and motorised divisions alone suffered 20,000 casualties and lost ■570 armoured cars, 1.525 lorries, 196 planes, and 206 guns.” A German communique states that German and Italian troops outflanked and destroyed three Soviet divisions ■lorth-east of Dnepropetrovsk apd capured 13,000 prisoners. The enemy was ■Might in a swampy district and sufred heavy losses. . NAZI PARATROOPS LITTLE USE IN CAMPAIGN LONDON, October 1. A Russian general has said that it is probable the question is being Risked why little has been heard of German parachute troops in the present campaign on the eastern front. In the first stages the paratroops were tried out in small parties, but these were all wiped out. Then they were tried in groups of about 100, hut they suffered the same fate,.

MOSCOW CONFERENCE SHORT OPENING CEREMONY COMMITTEES ALREADY AT WORK MOSCOW, Sept. 30. Marshal Voroshilov arrived from the front to attend the conference. In his opening speech, M. Molotov paid a high tribute to Lord Beaverbrook and Mr Harriman. Lord Beaverbrook said: “ We are in partnership with the Russians, and we are ready to make every sacrifice to help to conquer the common enemy.” M. Molotov had said that time was precious. He was right, said Lord Beaverbrook. The conference proceedings lasted only 30 minutes. M. Stalin afterwards received Lord Beaverbrook and Mr Harriman in the presence of M. Molotov and M. ifitvinov. Mr Harriman, speaking at the conference, said the despatch of the United States mission was historic, because America was a non-belligerent. _ The British and American delegations jointly issued the following communique;—“ Red _ tape and long speeches were entirely absent, and the six committees began sessions immediately, with orders to work day and night and fully report on Russian needs by Friday morning.” CZECHS AND POLES TO FIGHT FOR RUSSIA (Rec. 12.15 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 3D. Russia and Czecho-Slovakia have concluded a military agreement on similar lines to the British-Czech agreement, reports Reuter’s diplomatic correspondent. _ A Czech unit will be raised in Russia, which will be part of the Czech armed forces under a Czech commander appointed with the approval of the Russian High Command. The Polish general, stated in that the first Polish division in Russia was already fully armed and equipped. Russia was giving every assistance in bringing together and organising Polish soldiers scattered throughout Russia. “ Germany is the common enemy of both nations,” he said. “ We are fighting to liberate the Fatherland. The army includes Catholics, Jews, and Greek Orthodoxites. The morale and discipline are excellent. An average of 1.000 is joining daily. An officers’ school and a tank school have been established.”