NEXT OBJECTIVE OF NAZIS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 23 September 1941, Page 5

NEXT OBJECTIVE OF NAZIS

CITY OF ROSTOV INDICATED HEAVY FIGHTING IN KIEV SECTOR (Rer. 9.20 a.in.) Rugby, Sept. 11 A Soviet communique states: During last night our troop: were engaged in fighting with the enemy along tin* entire front. It is confirmed authoritatively in London that particularly heavi fighting persists in the Kiev sector. Further south the Germans claims to have reached the Set of Azov If true, this would confirm an earlier German claim W have • ut off the Crimea from the mainland. i In the Smolensk and Leningrad sectors also a continuance o heavy fighting is reported. There is no indication whether the Germans, following the fal of Kiev, will continue the drive north or south or both, but ai objective indicated lay their claim to have reached the Sea of A/.o’ seems to be Rostov, a city of 500,000 inhabitants on the Don. The plans of Marshal 1 imoshenko’s forces engaged on tin Smolensk sector are keeping the enemy guessing. rhe reasons for the slowing down of the Russian advance to wards Smolensk may be the withdrawal of troops to provide relic in other sectors or preparations for an intensive Russian counter offensive. 8.0. W. A Moscow communique last night admitted the evacuation o Kiev after many days’ fierce fighting.

The fall of Kiev has in no way aaunted the defenders of Leningrad > and Odessa. Round Leningrad women in the \ Home Guard and marines from the ; Baltic Fleet are lighting at the side of j Marshal Voroshilov's armies. The battle continues as savagely ns ever, and numerous counter-attacks by the Russians have resulted in .many vi 1 Isges changing hands. In spite of at- | tacks by scores of dive-bombers, Gene- j ral von Leeb’s forces are again making i no headway. Moscow announces that a Russian attack on the Leningrad front penetrated to the Gensian rear. lesulting in a Germa.: general and four staff officers being killed. The "Red Star” says that after an I extremely bloody battle lasting a week j the Russians recovered 32 vi 11 ages on the central front. Other reports sug- j gest that Smolensk is being attacked | from the north and south. A Berlin report to-day says that east of Kiev the Germans thrusting to- ; ward Kharkov have met a heavy Rus- | sian counter-attack at Poltava, which ! the Germans claimed to have captured [ several days ago. After more than six weeks of light- ( ing. the defenders of Odessa ate still j battering the enemy, who have made i Strong attacks. Odessa has replied to j the message of the commander at Tobruk, saying that as long as the citi- ! ztns have a drop of blood left they will go into battle. RED AIR FORCE SUCCESSFUL ATTACKS Rugby, Sept. 22. j Last night’s Russian communique J stated: “During 19th and 20th Septem- ; ter the Red Air Force carried out a number of successful attacks on enemy ; aerodromes. “On both days on the south-western fi ont four enemy aerodromes were attacked and planes were destroyed by bombs and machine-gun fire —43 on the ground and six in aerial combat. In ai'Other sector of the north-western front Russian aircraft in a dive-bomb-ing attack destroyed 2 enemy planes j cn the ground, and they shot down three others. On the central front one air squadron destroyed 29 enemy planes or. an aerodrome. “On the north-western front a Rus- i •ian unit annihilated a German com pony and destroyed a motor-car, killing a general and four officers. “On the central front a Russian unit iii a daring attack on 20th September | annihilated one battalion of the 71st! German infantry division and destroyed six tanks, 20 machine-guns and 1 tight guns. On the same front Rus-: sian troops inflicted heavy loss on a battalion of German infantry and ejected the enemy from his position. Three anti-aircraft batteries and a wireless station were captured. The Russians also captured a quantity of rifles and ammunition, and advanced 37 miles.”—B.O.W. R.A.F. OVER ODESSA Rome radio states that the Royal Air Force participated in a great air battle over Odessa on 21st September. WINTER NO OBSTACLE A Berlin commentator to-day said: “The German operations have entered cn a new phase, which will be carried out regardless of space and time. Winter will not constitute an obstacle.” BRITISH MISSION TO MOSCOW NOTED PHYSICIAN INVITED (Rec. 10.30 a.m.) Rugby, Sept. 21. Mr Churchill. Prime Minister, asked Sir Charles Wilson, President of the Royal College of Physicians, to join the British Mission to Moscow in order to rt port to him on any medical help that should be given Russia. —8.0. W. TANKS FOR THE SOVIET CEREMONY AT BRITISH FACTORY “SYMBOL OF UNITY' <Rec. 10.30 a.m.) Rugby, Sept. 22. “This ceremony is a symbol of the unity of our people. Let us hope this will be a ceremony which will bring not only victory to Russia and England, but also the first sign of co-operation and friendship which will last both during the war and during the coming years of peace,” said the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Supply at a Midland tank factory at which M. Maisky (Soviet Ambassador) was presented with two tanks to mark the opening of the “Speed tanks for Russia” campaign. The first of the tanks w£is named Stalin by Madame Maisky, who pulled away from the turret the Red Flag of Russia which was hauled down by a led, white and blue cord. As soon as this tank left the factory it was closely followed by another tank named Voroshilov—B.O.W. GERMAN REPORT DEFENDERS OF KIEV 30 DIVISIONS ANNIHILATED (Rec. 1.20 p.m.) London, Sept. 22. A German communique states: "German forces eastwards of Kiev are continuing the destruction of enemy troops which dispersed into several groups f nd concentrated in a very small area. Heavy casualties were inflicted during h desperate attempt to break out of the encirclement. A military spokesman ut Beilin said 30 Russian divisions comprising 450.000 men already have been annihilated eastwards of Kiev.—U.P.A. By special arrangement Reuter. world service in addition to othei special sources of information, is used in the compilation of the overseas in telligence published in this issue, and all rights therein in Australia and New are reserved.