Pincer Drive on Kiev Slows Down

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 186, 7 August 1941, Page 7

Pincer Drive on Kiev Slows Down

STHii, * • Al, ITIHIL A TING ’» *sMOli±iN*sn oJjBFENDER^ LONDON, Aug. 5. Earlier messages stated tuat tne new German pincer urive against Iviev appears to nave been greatly slowed down, n not luiiy *or tne tniiu successive uay, to-day’s Soviet communique announced lighting in the uirecuoa o£ ivorosten anu Byelaya xßer&ov.

Benin correspondents of Swedish newspapers au btt ost that the German High Goininana is specially emphasising b nu Ukraine drive in order to give the German public the impression tuat operations are terminating in the Smolensk area. The Germans are making tne same claims of successtui encirclements in the Kiev region as they made iu the early days oi the urive against omoiensa. The Germans similarly prom.se enormous captures of men anu material.

The Russians, however, persistently refuse to “lie down” iu tne Binoienax sector, where hostilities are covered by the Russian communique’s familiar phrase: * 4 Continued lighting. ’ * It is not yet ciear w nether the switch iu German attention from Smolensk to tne south —and to a lesser extent to the nortn —indicates a determination to develop fresa major drives in these areas or merely constitutes a diversion while the Germans are massing for a greater effort in the centre. .1 special German communique scares:

‘Tne German forces iu tne timoleusu enclosure yesterday continued tne annihilation ox the encircled Soviet forces.. The Russian troops, using some tanks, made a final desperate enort to break out, but collapsed under the German lire. Enemy xorces encircled and confined in a smaii area of the Ukraine mailed in attempts to break througn anu were partly wiped out. During uu extension of the iront 05 miles soutn-west from Einolensh, we carried out a surprise attack on a new formation of enemy forces and partly encircled and partly destroyed tlicin." A Hungarian communique says that Hungarian troops havo reached the River Bug and mat operations are proceeding according to plan.