BALTIC FRONT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 24011, 8 July 1941, Page 7

BALTIC FRONT

GERMANS' PEOGEESS ADVANCE BEYOND DVINA HANKO STILL HOLDS OUT ( (Reed. 8.30 p.m.) LONDON, July 7 The Stockholm correspondent of the Times' says the Germans are still making progress across Latvia toward Estonia. Trustworthy information does not mention names, except the River Dvina, but the Germans have apparently advanced far beyond that on a broad front. However, nothing supports reports that they have reached Tartu' Pskov or Parnu, or captured Tallinn. It is doubtful if the Germans have anywhere reached the Estonian frontier. The Russian naval base of Hanko, on the south coast of Finland, still holds out, but the Finns have not yet attempted a determined assault. The correspondent adds: "Only one clear thing emerges from the confused descriptions of the fighting to-day: Namely, the Rod Array's next stage of resistance is based on the original defences, begun on a large scale ten years ago." The German High Command's communique says operations against the Stalin Line are continuing according to plan. So far a total of approximately .'500,000 prisoners lias been taken since June 22. The Berlin radio has announced a special war communique, according to which, under pressure of German encirclement west of Minsk, an additional 52,000 Russian soldiers went over to the German side yesterday. It is reported from Stockholm that German and Finnish troops driving on Murmansk crossed the Liza River, but are still about 40 miles from Murmansk.

apathy of frenchmen NO VOLUNTEER CORPS LONDON. July G Proposals of the French to form a corps of volunteers to fight alongside the Germans against Russia have been abandoned because of a lack of enthusiasm throughout France, says the Madrid correspondent of the Daily battalions of German workers are being drafted into France to take over certain armament factories as part of the intensive programme of speeding up arms production in the occupied \xis sources are forecasting ' active measures" from Japan, and the Lyons radio has reported a Russo-Japanese clash on the Manchunan border.