SECOND WAVE SPENT

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 199, 24 July 1941, Page 7

SECOND WAVE SPENT

NAZI PLANS AWRY. MACHINE BADLY MAULED. (United Press Association —Copyright) LONDON, July 23. The unpleasant truth about the Eastern Trout which the German public must digest is that the second great wave of the German offensive is spent, says the Daily Telegraph’s ritocaholm correspondent. The German Pauzer armies are now desperately regrouping and repairing their machines in readiness for a third push which if it does not reach Leningrad or Moscow may have a decisive effect on the filial result of the war.

The-German High Command knows that the Russians still have big reserves, and if the war goes on on this scale for another three weeks the Germans will be compelled to draw on precious reserves, the correspondent adds.

The Times Stockholm correspondent endorses the Telegraph’s assessment of the situation and adds that the Russian reserves of men and machines, if efficiently mobilised and directed, will be capable of checking and even beating the Germans. The Russians believe that the Germans, on the other hand, are perilously near the employment of their chief effective reserves. Their whole war machine has been badly mauled, explaining why they arc unable to proceed more rapidly. A Moscow communique states: “In fighting near Pskov we captured parcels of secret documents, including instructions for use of poison gas distributed by mines. The document proves that the Germans, realising the unavoidable failure of the blitzkrieg, are preparing large-scale gas attacks.” The battle continues to rage. Moscow last night reported heavy lighting in the Porkhov and Smolensk sectors. Instead of the usual reference to the Novograd-Volynsk sector, the communique reports a battle in the Jitomir area, which is 25 miles south-east and 85 miles from Kiev. A German account suggests that there is a more serious throat to Kiev from the south. ENEMY ADVANCE. Moscow also announces an enemy advance on the sector between Lake Ladoga and the White Sea. It states that there is heavy fighting at Petrozavodsk, which is on the LeningradMurmansk railway and 200 miles trom Leningrad., A continued enemy drive through this area would serve two purposes: to endanger the Russian forces in Karelia and the Arctic, as well as threaten the rear of Leningrad. The Germans speak of all-night bombing of communications in the Leningrad neighbourhood. The Moscow radio says that a tank battalion, after routing a force of Germans and Rumanians, captured 350 prisoners and 472 motor—cycles. Cavalry surrounded and annihilated a retreating German and Rumanian infantry battalion. The radio also announced that Soviet E-boats operating in the Baltic sank four enemy transports and one destroyer in a- convoy. One of the E-boats’ torpedoes sank the destroyer and others sank large merchantmen, including a transport laden with troops and arms. MOSCOW’S SECOND RAID. Moscow was again raided during the night. Fifteen enemy planes, it is announced, were shot down. In this second raid 150 German planes participated, which, according to a Mos cow communique, failed like the first. Soviet planes and anti-aircraft guns prevented large enemy forces from reaching Moscow, but dozens of people were killed and injured. No military target was hit. Fire brigades and tinpopulation extinguished dwelling-house fires. A hospital and nursing home were seriously damaged. The alarm lasted five hours.

M. Stalin, in an order of the day, states that it is ascertained that 22 raiders were shot down in the raid on Monday night. The raiders were spotted immediately, resulting in over 200 being dispersed and only isolated planes penetrated over the capital. Some fires occurred, and these were energetically extinguished. Good order prevailed. The Berlin radio said strong forces of the Luftwaffe last night again attacked important military objectives in Moscow. According to reports extensive fires were observed at ter the firstwave of German bombers left.