PLIGHT DESPERATE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXII, Issue 98, 25 March 1942, Page 5

PLIGHT DESPERATE

TRAPPED NAZI ARMY SLAUGHTER CONTINUES. LONDON, March 24. A Soviet communique states that between March 9 and March 22 no fewer than IG,OOO Germans were killed on the Leningrad fron t.

The booty captured included 65 guns, 90 mortars and over 500 machine-guns. An overnight communique says there is no important change on the fronts. Yesterday the Germans lost 31 planes and the Russians 15. Reports from both Russian and German sources speak of particularly heavy fighting on three sectors of the Russian front —south of Lake Ilmen, in the Donetz region, and in the Crimea. The German communique referred to strong Russian attacks against Rumanian and German troops east of Kharkov, and to continued Soviet attacks in the Crimea. Meanwhile the increasing air activity , has led correspondents to suggest that 1 the spring offensive is about to begin. | For the first time for several days j the Russians have referred to the trapped German 16th Armv at Sta- i raya Russa, claiming that great losses j have been inflicted on it. They say I that the Germans, to conceal the ex- j tent of their losses, are burning their I own dead. Ten big troop planes have been shot down. The Russians say ! that the reinforcements which the Germans are trying to send to the beleagured army consist of badly trained men who lack warm clothing and arc “beaten before they reach the battle.” A Russian warship has sunk an enemy submarine in the Bahrcnts Sea.