Some of Bloodiest Fighting of War Now Going On

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 163, 11 July 1941, Page 5

Some of Bloodiest Fighting of War Now Going On

OIL CENTRES IN RUMANIA DESTROYED

Received Thursday, 7.25 p.m. LONDON, July 9. Some of the bloodiest fighting of the war is now going on in the northerly sectors of the Russian-German front as the result of an accelerated German effort to overwhelm Leningrad and all north of it. The German News Agency, after claiming the occupation of Ostrov, Felliu and Pamu, announced that the Germans after heavy fighting had occupied the strongly fortified town of Salla (just northwards of the Arctic cirele). The Finnish radio declares that the German and Russian forces are locked in the bitterest battle of the war between Ostrov and Lake Peipus. The Russians are resisting heroically. German reports refer to huge Soviet forces being flung against the advancing Germans. Officials in Berlin declare that the war is entering its second decisive stage. The Russians have taken up new strategic positions and the Germans are seeking to encircle these main Soviet armies-

It appears that there is some slackening in the fighting on the central and southern fronts. The Berlin spokesman said reports of fierce battles raging on the whole front were untrue.

Both the Russian and German air forces continue to concentrate mostly on objectives close to the .lines, although it is officially announced in Helsinki that at least 17 were killed and 156 wounded in an air raid on Helsinki this morning.

The Moscow radio claimed that Soviet bombers destroyed oil centres ill Rumania. It says: “The port of Constanta, including enormous oil reserves, has virtually ceased to exist.’’ Travellers arriving in Istanbul confirm that Constanta has been devastated.

The Stockholm correspondent of the Daily Express says the battle for Moscow has become a battle for air superiority. Both sides are flinging in all their available air might. A decision in favour of Germany would send the Panzers dashing forward again. Correspondents cabling from Sweden attach much importance to reports of heavy German losses in men. According to the Stockholm correspondent of the Daily Telegraph almost continuous streams of hospital trains are returning from the front. It proved impossible to pass all the trains through Berlin at night and the spectacle of trains with their pitiful loads is causing Berliners considerable anxiety and consternation. According to neutral travellers from Germany there are indications of alarmingly heavy German casualties, says the Stockholm correspondent of the Times. The trainloads of wounded are making a deeper impression than the official reports of victories. It is believed all the hospitals in Poland and adjacent parts of Germany are already crowded. A Moscow communique states: “Fierce fighting continued throughout the day against large enemy tank and mechanised units trying to break through in the Ostrov, Polotsk and Novograd-Volynsk sectors. “In the Ostrov sector our troops are stubbornly holding up the advance of superior enemy forces. In the Polotsk sector the enemy’s offensive was decisively counter-attacked. Fighting continues and the enemy is suffering heavy losses. In the Lepel sector our troops arc successfully counter-attacking. “In the Novograd-Volynsk sector there was fierce fighting throughout the day between our troops and large enemy mechanised forces. Elsewhere ouiv forces are stubbornly maintaining their positions. “Our air force successfully attacked enemy mechanised units and destroyed grounded enemy aircraft. They also bombed Constanta, Tulcea, Sulina and the Ploesti oilfields.”