SOVIET COUNTER

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20634, 14 August 1941, Page 5

SOVIET COUNTER

RAILWAY BATTLE PROTECTION OF FLANK MOSCOW AGAIN DEFENDED (Elec. Teh Copyright- 1 -United Press Assn.) (Reed. Aug. 14, 11 a.m.) LONDON, Aug. 13. A Russian communique issued early this morning stated that nothing of importance had occurred on the fronts yesterday. The usual reference is made of air force blows. It is stated that 41 German and 34 Russian planes Were destroyed on Monday. Warships and aeroplanes of the Baltic Fleet destroyed four enemy torpedo boats and two transports on Monday. A Moscow communique issued last night claimed the Soviet forces had annihilated the 68th German Division after a battle around an unnamed railway station. A supplementary Moscow communique detailing the claim states the Germans sent the division by air to a railway station in an attempt to turn the right flank of the Russians and penetrate their rear in order to cut off Russian units occupying the station, but the manoeuvre was found out in time. The Russians repelled several German attacks and then counterattacked. After a three-day battle they annihilated the division of Germans, who left 9000 dead and wounded on the battlefield, 19 tanks, 27 guns, three anti-aircraft batteries, 24 mine-throwers, »76 machine-guns, 600 automatic rifles, and much other material. Timoshenko. Leads Troops The Moscow radio announced that Marshal Timoshenko personally victoriously led his troops in one of the fiercest encounters of the war. The Germans, after being heavily reinforced, were holding the advantage when Marshal Timoshenko shouted: — “Forward for the Fatherland,” after which a tank unit advanced, artillery put up a fierce barrage, and infantry stormed the German lines. The Moscow radio stated yesterday that German planes attempted to raid Moscow but were dispersed by night fighters and anti-aircraft batteries. None of the raiders reached the capital. Nazi Map of Front Berlin officials stated late last night that Odessa was isolated by German forces reaching the coast westward and eastward of the city. A reproduction of the latest ostensibly official German war map shows a. front from the Black Sea to the Gulf of Riga. It starts from the mouth of the Dniester, semi-circling Odessa to the River Bug between Nikolayev and Voznesensk, and thence curving northeast to a level with Pervonaisk, then back north-west to a point eastward of Uman; thence northwards to where it crosses the Pripet River and the Pinsk-Bryansk railway, whence it sweeps curvingly through the railway between Smolensk and Viazma back to Veikiyeluki, following the Lovat River to the southward of Lake Ilmen, then straight to a point northward of the Gdov, after which it goes across Lake Peipus north-west to Tapa and thence straight to Parnu. The Stockholm correspondent ot The Times says that, judging from all the available information, this map is approximately correct regarding positions at the week-end. It is noteworthy that the line nowhere touches the Gulf of Finland, but shows Narva, Tallinn and Paldiski, and also over half of Estonia, still in Russian hands. It is necessary to remember, however, that no definite line exists, as the fighting zone is mostly 20 and frequently 100 miles deep.