Russians Hitting Back Hard

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 208, 2 September 1941, Page 5

Russians Hitting Back Hard

LONDON, Aug. 31. Earlier messages stated that although : 40 notable territorial gains can be recorded at any point on the front in the last 24 hours, fierce fightiug continues in several important sectors, but the exact positions can not easily be identified. For instance, for many day* both aides have referred to the centre front, but without indicating bow far north from Kiev. The Germans are still trying to develop their recent successes from Gomel, approximately half way between Smolensk and Kiev, where they claim an advance of 30 miles. The Germans admit repeated Russian counter-attacks, sometimes indicating that these were across the Dnieper at a point below Kiev. This suggests that the Russians still hold some bridgeheads on the right bank. Although the Dnieper represents the front line below Kiev, the middle front cannot be accurately plotted except that it lies eastward of Gomel, Smolensk, Velikiye Luki, and the Lovat River to Lake Ilmen, its most easterly penetration being in the direction of Moscow between Smolensk and Viazma. The counter-offensives mentioned by Moscow are mostly in this sector. The Stockholm correspondent of The Times says that, however successful the counter-attacks have been, there is nothing to show that they are more than locally important. They have been undertaken with the object of thwarting the Germans, who generally retain the initiative and have not yet exhausted their striking power. The Moscow radio stated that the German offensive on the central front had been completely halted and the German drive at Moscow rolled back with terrific Nazi losses. A German spokesman admitted that the Nazi forces in the Leningrad sector were meeting “tenacious opposition, klifficult terrain, and intensive fortifications. " Commander Dodonov, is the newest Russian hero. He is the veteran of three wars who is reported to be leading assaults against the forces of the German von Bock. According to Moscow, Commander Dodonov is methodically pushing westwards. his flanks covered by Marshal Vororhilov’s forces in the north and by Marshal Budenny’s in the Ukraine. There is no indication of whether this Is identical wih ♦ -o thrust attributed to General Konic.v. The Moscow newspaper Pravda ftates that Commander Dodonov prepared the ground with heavy artillery pnd is now attacking across boggy terrain. The paper adds that the German artillery fire is becoming

(weaker and the German planes less numerous. The German hammer-blows between Smolensk and Moscow have been diverted with the object of finding | less resistance to the right and left. They have not yet found a soft spot: on the contrary the Russians, after initially yielding under heavy blows, have retrieved some of the lost ground. The most desperate German onslaught at present is directed towards Leningrad from Lake Ilmen to the Finnish Gulf. The Germans vaguely claim progress towards Leningrad, but apparently their gains are not appreciable. The German drive on Lenin- ■ g-rad from the west also has apparently slowed down. J | The German news agency declared (that the Russians were laying vast [minefields in the path of the German forces. ! The Times correspondent on fhe German frontier declares that (he j German success in the north n-as not decisive as the arm,- wished. Tallinn and Yiborg have been mostly destroved by AtP. and the Germans have suffered frightful losses. The Eussians still hold the islands of Dago and Osel, cif the Estonian coast, and are thus able to continue their night raid on Dor’in and Konigsberg. The terrain around Leningrad is daily becoming more difficult owing to heavy rains. Odessa continues to'hold out against the German siege . The Soviet Wat News, which is published by the Soviet Embassy in London, states that Odessa has plenty of food, arms, and : mmnui tion, and that the defences are being strengthened daily. Factories are working non-stop repairing tanks and armoured cars. Moscow says that nil German attempts to cross the river Dnieper have been thrown back. The defeat bv air of Germt u attempts to cross the “River D” are described in a Soviet supplementary communique, which states: “Our reconnaissance planes spotted large German units preparing to cross the River D. A 'squadron of the Red Air Force attacked ; the concentration >f troops. Flares and incendiary bombs Mere dropped, and the pilots could see a pontoon bridge which had hoe*i prepared The pontoon was destr »y>;d by av»r dive bombers. The Germans suffered dieayv losses and had to postpone the transport of their troops over the river. Next morning, an air squadron attacked j the German concentration again. Three ' anti-aircraft batteries. 25 tanks, and j 20 guns were destroyed, and 3000 German soldiers were killed or wounded. ”| The Russian midday communique gave no details of the fighting in tho east beyond stating that Soviet troop! were engaged along the entire front. The Russian overnight communique stated that on Thursday 29 German

planes were shot down for a loss of 10 Russian. It added that on Wednesday, according to verified reports 66 German planes were destroyed, not 41, aB previously reported. The enemy haa increased his air prossure on the Leningrad area, where, however, he had met equally fierce resistance. During an attack on one of the Russian aerodromes in this area on Wednesday, 23 German planes were shot down. The Germans failed to find a single So' # ’et plane on the ground.