LENINGRAD BATTLE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20655, 8 September 1941, Page 5

LENINGRAD BATTLE

ENORMOUS FORCES ORGANISED DEFENCE MOSCOW CONFIDENCE (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. Sept. 8, 9 a.m.) LONDON, Sept. 7. Yesterday’s reports stated that the Germans in the Leningrad area were battling with enormous Russian forces, against which the Germans were obliged to send constant reinforcements in order to maintain their positions. The Moscow correspondent of Reuter’s agency said yesterday that there was a strong impression in Moscow that events were taking a more favourable turn. Leningrad's defence, like that of Kiev and Odessa, had been organised with immense thoroughness. The Germans claimed yesterday that long-range guns were shelling positions in Leningrad, but there was no confirmation of this in Moscow. Finnish reports yesterday stated that fires in Leningrad could be seen from the frontier. It is considered that though the Germans may by-pass Leningrad, they do not want to do so. since they would leave a troublesome bastion on their flank. An attempt yesterday bv the Gc>man air force to raid military objectives on the approaches to Leningrad cost the raiders 17 aircraft out of 30 which took part. The Rome radio stated yesterday that British-made planes were among the Russian, aircraft shot down in the Leningrad area.