MOSCOW BOMBED

Grey River Argus, 23 July 1941, Page 5

MOSCOW BOMBED

OVER FIVE HOURS By 200 German Planes With no Great Effect [Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] (Rec. 9.40). . LONDON, July 22. The Moscow Radio has reported that more than two hundred German 'planes participated in a raid which has been made on Moscow. It adds that seventeen 'planes were shot down. A few fires were started. Several were killed and injured. 51 HOUR RAID. REGARDED AS FAILURE. (Rec. 11.30). "LONDON, July 22. The Moscow air raid began at 10 p.m. on Monday, and it ended at 3.30 a.m. on Tuesday. The raid must be considered to have been a failure. Defending planes allowed only a few of the raiders to reach Moscow. No military target was hit. LENINGRAD RAID. REPULSED BY RUSSIANS. (Rec. 11.30). LONDON, J’uly 22. A Soviet communique states: “We have repulsed an air raid on Leningrad. The communique adds: We shot down 11 enernv nlanes and eight enemy planes respectively during two attempts that were made Io leach Leningrad. Four of our planes are missing.

Luftwaffe’s Raids

SERIES ON MONDAY.

(Rec. 11.30). LONDON, July 22. The Official German News Agency states: “The Luftwaffe on Monday bombed enemy aerodromes in all of the sectors of the East Front. It also bombed the railways west of Moscow. Barracks, depots and troop concentrations were also attacked. German dive-bombers inflicted heavy losses in the Novpgrad revion.

Smolensk Battle STILL ON WEST SIDE.

(Rec. 9.20). LONDON, July 22. The Stockholm correspondent of the London “Daily Telegraph’’ says: Marshal Timoshenko on Sunday dislodged German panzer forces from a precarious foothold in the outskirts of Smolensk, which they won on Wednesday last, according to most reliable sources. “A big battle continues westward of Smolensk on both sides of the main railway from Warsaw to Moscow.

i Soviet Reports INTENSE FIGHTING CONTINUES. (Rec. 11.30). LONDON, July 22. A Soviet Communique states: — 1 There continues intense lighting r around the following places: Polotsk, Neval, Smolensk, and Novogradi Volynsk. There has been no important actions elsewhere. * STILL NO IMPORTANT CHANGE. ' LONDON, July 21. f The two latest communiques from i Moscow report no important change. They do not confirm the fall of Smolensk, or a serious threat to Kiev, as claimed by the Germans. I To-day’s advices from Moscow say that even Smolensk is in Russian hands. The’ Germans make mention f of fighting in the Smolensk area. This shows that oxen if the Germans did take the town, as they reported, last Wednesday, thev have not gone j much further. A dispatch to the

Moscow newspaper “Izvesta” from 1 its correspondent at the front describes the types of defensive action fought by Russian troops aga nst superior numbers It says that during the 17 hours’ defence of one town, 70 German tanks, supported by

L dive-bombers and motorised forces, I advanced from the shelter of a forL pst. The tanks were trapped in a | system of anti-tank gunfire ana a series of ground tank traps. Seven ’ tanks were destroyed bv these means, and tlm Russian artillery pur, dox/n a '■ box barrage while Russian infantry went into action with anti-tank weapons. Eight more tanks xvere destroyed and many transports The Russian Cabinet appointed four more Vice-Commissars of Dei fence to assist M. Stalin, namely. M. Shadenko, for the political side of ( the Army; Lieutenant-General Fodo-i-enko for the tanks: Lieutenant-Gen-eral, Jigarev. for the Air Force; and Lieutenant-General Kruliov fo r Sup--1 plies i The Moscow radio stated that a Bulgarian destroyer'Collided with a German submarine near Varna and sank The crew were droxvnect.

German Generals

REPORTED DISRATINGS. (Rec. 9.30). NEW YORK July 22. General Rommel, the Panzer expert, who has been Commander ot the ’Germans in North Africa', has been recalled to Germany in order to collaborate with General Liszt in the direction of the Russian campaign. This is according to private advices received from Europe. The advices say there has been a' German arms “shakeup.” Field Marshals Von Keitel and Von Brauchitsch have been relegated to the background, because of poor progress in Russia. “The New York Times” recalls hearing in a' broadcast from Moscow based on information from Berne, that Reich Marshal Goering had been disgraced, and also that several Generals had been removed from their posts. It also reported that a number of high officers had committed suicide.

GERMANS DOOMED

SAYS SOVIET COMMISSAR. LONDON, July The Soviet Vice-Commissar of Foreign Affairs on Monday night declared' “The Germans are holding only certain front lines. Hundreds or cities and villages in the rear arc slih Russian-controlled. Thousands of guerilla bands are harassing the German rear, wreck ng and ambushino troops The idea of the 'Germans carrying out a ol tzkrieg against Russia is ridiculous. We have evidence of an order by General Nehring, commander of the German Eighteenth Tank Corps, saying: ' fine Joss of munitions, arms, and macn nes is very substantial, and. despite our successful advance, considerably exceeds our booty.’ ” M. Lozovsky added: “Such a Von if nro’onffed. will be intolerable to the Germans. It proves that tney inevitable doom.” . M. Lozovsky declared that Moscow was so well defended that mass ailra'ds were imposs ble. He added that tlm Germans we-e bombing communications, but the railways were function'ng regular.y.