SUPREME EFFORT

Evening Star, Issue 24008, 6 October 1941, Page 7

SUPREME EFFORT

NAZIS PREPARING NEW BLITZ LENINGRAD THEN MDSCOW OUTLINE OF WHOLE BATTLEFRONT (Rec. 12.24 p.m.) LONDON, October 5. The German preparations behind Leningrad, the central and the Ukraine fronts suggest a supreme effort for spectacular achievements before winter. The Germans, according to the Stockholm correspondent of ‘ The Times,’ betray almost desperate anxiety for completion of July’s agenda—namely, the capture of Leningrad and Moscow. The Russian counter-attacks appear fierce and numerous on all fronts. As a preliminary to the next phase the Germans have semi-officially given a rough outline of the front as running from Shlussolburg to the river Volkhov, midway between Lake Ladoga and Lake Ilmen, thence along the Volkhov through Novgorod, along the Lovat to Volikiye Luki straight southward to the Dvina, near Vitebsk, thence irregularly south-east, joining the Desna below Yelnia, leaving the Desna above Bryansk, thence southward to Konotop, Romni, and Poltava, reaching the Dnieper below Kreraenchug, following the Dnieper, with the Germans holding a strip 20 to 30 miles on the left bank until midway between Dnepropetrovsk and Zaporozhe, which the Russians still hold. The Russians then hold both banks of the Dnieper to a point a little east of Nikopol, where the front recrosses and descends to Genichesk, showing Melitopol and Akimovka still in Russian possession. The most interesting point in this German outline of the front is that it coincides roughly with information from the 'Russians. The outline does not specify the German positions west and south-west of Leningrad, but the Gormans admit -that the Russians hold Oranienbaum.

The German line around Leningrad has gaps over which the Germans maintain precarious contact by land and air.

The supreme effort which the Germans are preparing is likely to begin with a final assault against Leningrad, quickly followed by a new impetus in operations against Moscow. The Germans believe that if Leningrad can be taken Moscow will soon fall, because von Leeb’s forces would sweep south-east and envelop the capital. The latest Russian advices, however, indicate increasing confidence in Leningrad’s ability to outlast the attackers. If this confidence is justified—and it seems soundly based—a new German offensive against Moscow would be almost as certainly futile as that of July. Further German penetration in the Ukraine, while the more northerly armies are not vanquished, would be perhaps more dangerous for the Germans than for the Russians. The ‘ Daily Tdfegraph’s ’ Stockholm correspondent says von Leeb has already recieved masses of reinforcements, and seems to have checked Marshal Voroshilov’s counter-attack south-east from Leningrad. Gorman reports, however, say that Russian troops, with planes and armoured trains, are still battling fiercely between Kolpino and Tosno. These armoured trains carry heavy naval guns and anti-aircraft batteries. Also battleship armourplated armoured cars support them in lightning raids into advance enemy positions. The correspondent adds that the situation at Leningrad is critical, with the Germans continually increasing the pressure, but the Russians continue to emphasise their ability to hold out. RED AIR FORCE SUCCESSFUL ATTACKS ON INVADER (British Official Wireless.) (Rec. 11.30 a.m.) RUGBY, Oct. 5. Successful air attacks on Gorman tanks and motor transports are reported in a Russian supplementary communique. One German column lost by bombs and machine-gun fire 33 lorries with infantry, four companies of infantry, and a squadron of cavalry. Another Russian air squadron on the southern front destroyed 15 tanks and 30 motor vehicles carrying infantry. Also in the south the Germans suffered defeat in the land fighting, in which they left 900 dead and wounded on the battlefield, besides eight guns, 45 machine-guns, and nine mortars. At the approaches to Odessa Russian naval detachments killed over 1.000 Germans, and on© unit smashed a battalion of S.Sv men in one fight, and in another killed 200 Germans^

STRONG COUNTER-ATTACKS

GERMANS PUSHED BACK NO SALIENTS IN RUSSIAN LINE LONDON, Oct. 4. Russian counter-attacks have pushed the Germans back at new points on the central front and in the Leningrad and Odessa sectors. The Moscow radio says: “ Marshal Timoshenko’s forces have driven the Germans back 15 miles in one sector of the central front, while in the Leningrad sector Russian troops have advanced 13 miles at some points. Marshal Budenny’s forces in the southern Ukraine launched a strong counter-attack to relieve the German pressure on the Crimea. Germans and Rumanians wore ejected from 30 settlements.” 1 Izvcstia ’ reports that the Russians recaptured a city railway junction in an important sector of the Karelian Isthmus, over 600 Finns being killed. In a fierce battle on the shore of Lake Ladoga, where the Finns concentrated large forces in an effort to break through to Leningrad, the Russians killed 1,200 of the enemy. The Stockholm correspondent of the ‘ Daily Mail ’ says that General von Rundstedt has launched a vast new offensive apparently aimed at the junction of Marshal Timoshenko’s and Marshal Budenny’s armies near Kurak, wjth the object of turning both Soviet flanks and then driving north to Moscow. The British and United States missions to the Moscow conference toured war factories in the Moscow area, and afterwards one of the American delegates said: “ I have seen nothing better than these plants in the United States and Europe. I was very impressed by the efficient organisation as well as the individual workmanship.” - The Soviet Information Bureau announces that many of Russia’s most important factories doubled their daily output last week. GENERAL SURVEY. A British Official Wireless message, reviewing the situation on. Friday, states that the Russian front line, from the Baltic to the Black Sea, is now more or less straight. The absence of major salients means that no Russian forces are in danger of encirclement unless the Germans make now thrusts, and these will involve frontal attacks. In Finland, in a successful counterattack, the Russians have thrown the Germans back to the west bank of the river Litha. The situation in Leningrad shows little change. Most of the island of Osel is in the hands of the Germans, who also landed on Dago. In the central s sector there is no change apart from a small German advance in the Demyansk sector. Immediately east of Kiev, organised Russian resistance has ended. Farther east, where German pressure is increasing, Russian resistance appears to be stubborn and effective. The Germans, however, have reached Poltava and Novomoskovsk. On the two approaches to the Crimea, German frontal attacks are meeting with fierce resistance, and so far have failed to reach the mainland, although they are now believed almost to have reached the southern extremity of the Perekop isthmus. Large counter-attacks by the Russians are proceeding from the the general direction being from Melitpol, with the object of relieving the pressure, but results are not yet known. Russian reinforcements are also believed to be on the way to relieve the pressure. Odessa continues to hold out. MOLOTOV'S BERLIN TALKS GERMAN ALLEGATIONS DENIED (British Official Wireless.) (Rec. 12.5 p.m.) RUGBY, October 5. M. Scherbakov, Director of the (Russian Department of Information, denied German claims that M. Molotov demanded the Straits of Finland and the invasion of Bulgaria during his Berlin talks. He also said: “ Fear regarding the situation in the German rear compelled Hitler to address the population on October 3 with new bragging and lying promises of a speedy victory.” GERMAN LOSSES A SOVIET ESTIMATE LONDON, October o. M. Scherbakov, Director of the Russian Department of Information, says that Hitler’s casualty figures are fantastic. The Germans have lost over 3,000.000 killed, wounded, and taken prisoner since they invaded Russia, as well as 11,000 to 13,000 tanks and guns, and 9,000 planes. The Russian losses total 230.000 killed, 720,000 wounded, and 178,000 missing, 7,000 to 8,900 tanks and guns, and 5,300 planes. SOUTH AFRICAN AIR ACE FEATS ON EASTERN FRONT LONDON, October 6. The Moscow radio spoke of Flyingofficer Albert G. Lewis, a twenty-three-year-old South African pilot, who is described as the “ destroyer of 30 Nazi planes.” Now he is putting the fear of death into German airmen on the eastern front. PEACE-TALK TREASON IL DUCE THREATENS HANGMAN'S ROPE REIGN OF TERROR EXPECTED (Rec. noon.) LONDON, October 5. A reign of terror is expected' to follow Mussolini’s declaration that peace propaganda in Italy will be stamped out by the use of the hangman’s rope. In a recent speech to the Fascist Grand Council the Duce said peace propaganda would be treated as high treason. Contrary to custom, the speech was neither reported by the Italian Press nor broadcast, says ‘ Reynolds’s Newspaper.’ it adds that Mussolini is reported to have raved about the wave of discontent sweeping over Italy, and also to have made a violent attack on some of the Fascist leaders, whom, he , accused of shirking their duties.

JAPANESE IN RETREAT

FIGHTING IN CHANGSHA AREA RENEWED HOPE FOR CHINA CHUNGKING, Oct. 3. The Associated Press of America states that the Chinese officially announce that the remnants of the Japanese forces retreating northward from Changsha are being surrounded and wiped out. Th ■. main body of Japanese has left behind huge quantities of heavy war materials. China’s crushing victory dooms Japan’s immediate hopes of diverting forces against the Soviet in Siberia or to the southward, says the ‘ Daily Mail's ’ Hongkong correspondent. It gives renewed hope to China to fight on, and it will help tTic Allies greatly in gaining time for preparations in the Pacific. For Japan, this defeat does not mean so much in man power and material, which was heavy and will take much time to reorganise, as in morale inside Japan. The Japanese people are taxed and are sacrificing almost past endurance. There has been murmuring, and the militarists hoped that this new offensive might end the war. The Japanese offensive was launched a fortnight ago, and two major enveloping movements begun from rlankow and Canton with the object of seizing the Hankow-Canton railway and Changsha, the main Chinese base and a communications centre. At least 100,000 Japanese advanced from Hankow, preceded by waves of bombers, which caused enormous damage to Changsha. The Chinese General, Hsuehyueh, did not fall into the trap by dividing his forces. He withdrew his main army of 300,000 men eight miles north of Changsha, where he outflanked the Japanese. After a battle of 48 hours, the Japanese retreated, leaving 40,000 dead and wounded. General Hsuehyueh claimed that the Japanese had been lured into a trap and were now facing annihilation. He says that 50,000 Japanese are still encircled, and that Chinese guerrillas are now harrying retreating Japanese and talking heavy toll. The Associated Press of America’s Shanghai correspondent says that the Japanese army claims that the new drive in the Hunan province has reached within six miles of the vital railway junction of Chengchow, that it has smashed the Chinese 98th army, that the Chinese have lost 2,000 killed, including the commander, General Wu Sliimin, and 5,000 captured, and that the way is now opened for the occupation of'Chcngchow.

GERMAN CONVOYS DEVASTATING BRITISH ATTACKS NORWEGIAN COAST AVOIDED STOCKHOLM, (Rec. 12.30 p.m.) , Oct. 5. The ‘ Social ’ Demokraten ’ declares that the British air attacks against German convoys off the Norwegian coast are so devastating that the Germans have temporarily abandoned coastal shipping north of Trondheim. German troops who were supposed to embark at Trondheim and then proceed north have been sent back to southern Norway by train. Meanwhile the German defence preparations, even m east Norway, are going on at high speed. Railroads and bridges are being mined. DIFFICULT TARGET THE READINESS OF MALTA LONDON, October 6. During the week-end Malta had a number of alerts. Fighter planes went up, but there were no engagements. A number of bombs fell into the sea, but at one point some civilian property was damaged. An Italian newspaper says that Malta is like a great big cruiser, ready for attack or defence. The island is one of the most difficult targets in the war.

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HITLER’S SPEECH

MADE FOR HOME CONSUMPTION NECESSARY TO BOLSTER UP MORALE LONDON, Oct. 4. The general impression created in the British Press .by Hitler’s speech is that the Nazi Propaganda Department found it necessary to make a strong-offensive against a wave of distrust and depression caused by a succession of “ victories ” which bring the war no nearer to a conclusion favourable to Germany. Undoubtedly the news of the rapid and successful conclusion of the Moscow conference leaked out in Germany and further accelerated the need for an effort to pull public opinion together. EFFORT TO CALM POPULATION. According to the Moscow radio, the mood of the German people has become desperate by the failure of the blitz against Russia, by the war on two fronts, and by the bad Jiving conditions in Germany. This, it stated, was the real reason why Hitler went to Berlin and delivered a speech intended to calm the population. “He had to confess that his army will have to go through a winter campaign,” it continued. “ The German High Command has stated repeatedly that the Soviet army was destroyed, and now Hitler says the Soviet army is strong and well equipped with good weapons. “ After the blitz failed, he explained that operations were proceeding according to plan. Was it also among Hitler’s plans that the mighty coalition of England, America, and Russia should arrive to fight together until Hitler is defeated? Was it according to plan that the campaign in the east should go on through the winter? Why did he not mention German losses with one single word when everyone can see trains coming from the east with wounded soldiers and hundreds of thousands of families are wearing mourning for relatives fallen in the east? AFRAID OF THE TRUTH. “ Of course, he is afraid of telling the truth. The German army is bleeding to death in the east. During three months of fighting 3,000,000 Germans have been killed, or taken prisoner. He said he has large reserves and a whole continent at his disposal. This will include Norway, where every day people are avenging the crimes committed by the Nazis on the Norwegian people, or Roland, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, France, and other countries who did not stop fighting for a single second against Hitler. “ Now compare the reserves of the Soviet Union—a united people of 200,000,000. Only a few days ago an agreement was concluded at Moscow which mobilised further huge reserves, an agreement which promises all possible help from England and America that is needed for victory over Hitler.”

NOTE TO FINLAND A REPORT DENIED (Rec. 8 a.m.) LONDON, Oct. 5. A report has been put out by the Finnish wireless to the effect that the recent British Note to Finland had been transmitted by the Norwegian Minister in co sequence of “a refusal by the Unitea States to transmit it.” It is authoritatively stated that this report is without foundation. The United States was never even asked to transmit it. The Norwegian Government offered to convey the message, and Britain naturally accepted an offer made by an ally. PETROL IN SPAIN USE BANNED DURING WEEK-END LONDON, October 6. No automobiles were running in Spain during the week-end. This_ was in compliance with a decree prohibiting the use of petrol from Saturday till Monday afternoon each week.

EXCHANGE OF PRISONERS

LAST-MINUTE HITCH BERLIN WANTS CIVILIANS INCLUDED (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, October 4. Latest news about the hitch iu the exchange of prisoners is that at a late stage in the negotiations the German Government drew attention to the fact that there were fewer German side and wounded prisoners of war who were eligible to be repatriated than there were British. In consequence, Germany has asked His Majosty!s Government to agree to include in the exchange a number of German civilians who arc interned. The German Government added, however, that it had no intention of making the granting of the request an indispensable condition for the repatriation of prisoners of war. The British Government informed the German Government that, in pursuance of its previously declared policy, it reaffirmed its readiness to agree to mutual repatriation of British and German women, children, and men over military age, and that, further, as a token of its intention, it would be prepared to send with the returning sick and wounded prisoners of war a first batch of some 60 German civilians who are interned. Last night, however, the German Government stated that it would require further time to consider the British reply, and that meanwhile it was not prepared to proceed with the exchange of prisoners of war as previously arranged. If a satisfactory answer is not received by to-morrow morning German prisoners on board the hospital ship at Newhaven will be disembarked. EMBARKATION SCENES TWO ARROGANT NAZIS LONDON, October 4. A report that the last-minute hitch which occurred in the exchange of British and German wounded prisoners was caused by German insistence on the repatriation of Herr Hess, is discredited by authoritative circles in London. The spokesman said there had been no request for individuals. It was certain categories which were being exchanged!. The Germans began to embark on the hospital ships Dinard and Saint Julian at Newhaven at dusk. A naval officer called to switch on the light, and the two ships sprang into sharp relief in what was probably the greatest concentration of light in Britain for two years. Walking cases went aboard first, including airmen and members- of captured U-boat crews. Some were on crutches, others had wooden legs, and two who had been blinded were led by limping comrades. Many were smiling and happy, others were obviously past caring how and when the war ended. Only a few appeared at all arrogant. Two airmen cried “ Heil Hitler ” and gave the Nazi salute as they stepped aboard.

The loading of the ships ceased before midnight on receipt of a message from Berlin. All lights were switched off, and military guards were posted on darkened quays. Among the Germans to be exchanged were 50 women from the internment camp at the Isle of Man.

DEPARTURE HELD UP (British Official Wireless.) (Bee. 11 a.in.) RUGBY, October 5. It is learned in London that the hospital ships with prisoners of war definitely will not sail to-day. EXERCISED Oil QUAY PRECAUTIONS TAKEN (Rec. S a.m.) LONDON, October 5. Foreign Office, Admiralty, and War Office officials are holding a meeting in London to decide whether the war prisoners should be kept aboard the hospital ships at Newhaven or be disembarked. In the meantime the Germans were again exercised on the quay, where there was considerable bustle. Germans able to walk were paraded in small parties between two hospital trains, which prevented any glimpse of the harbour defences. All were closely watched by an armed guard with loaded rifles and fixed bayonets. NEGOTIATIONS PROCEEDING (British Official Wireless.) (Rec. 10.25 a.m.) RUGBY, Oct. 5. Negotiations about the exchange of British and German prisoners of war are continuing. DAMAGE TOJJM.S. NELSON PARIS RADIO REPORT (Rec. 12.30 p.m.) LONDON, Oct. 5. The Paris radio declared that the British battleship Nelson required extensive repairs and a general overhaul, which were impossible in Gibraltar. In order that repairs might be carried out she would go to America. The Admiralty last week stated that the Nelson was" hit by an air torpedo in the Mediterranean.

BOMBS ON CYPRUS NO CASUALTIES REPORTED (British Official Wireless.) (Rec. 10.5 a.m.) RUGBY, Oct. 5. A small force of enemy aircraft crossed the Cyprus coast last night. Bombs were dropped at a number of points. There were no casualties.