ENEMY GAINS IN UKRAINE

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24034, 4 August 1941, Page 7

ENEMY GAINS IN UKRAINE

RUSSIANS CLAIM REICHSWEHR BOGGED

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Ecceked August 3. 11.30 p.m.) LONDON, August 3 A communique from Moscow this morning stated: "We engaged t^ie enem y °n Saturday in the regions of Porkhov, Smolensk, Korostyshev (in the Kiev area, 20 miles east of Jitomir). and Byelava Tserkov (about 50 miles south of Kiev) and also in the Estonian sector. Engagements elsewhere were of a local character. The Russian air force dealt heavy blows at panzer units, infantry and artillery. The references to the Kiev area appear to indicate German gains in the Ukraine.

A Russian regiment, states the communique, ousted the Germans from a district, killing or wounding 1200 and taking 600 prisoners, besides capturing four tanks, 1 1 guns, i 9 machine-guns and 12 lorries. Prisoners revealed that the Germans in the front line were short or ammunition. One Russian unit in the past few days has destroyed eight columns of fuel transport in the German rear. Fresh Soviet Troops Thrown In Russian counter-attacks wiped out one German regiment after another on the key fronts where thrusts are aimed at Leningrad, Moscow and Kiev, stated a Moscow report yesterday. Fresh Soviet troops are being thrown into the battle and each hour the counter-attacks gain in ferocity and violence. The German 137 th Infantry Division was encircled and destroyed. Letters found at a captured German postal station revealed the severity of the enemy losses and pessimism regarding a German victory. The deputy-chief of the Soviet Information Bureau, M. Lozovsky, said: We have smashed Germany's crack shock divisions, and the Reichswehr is bogged and suffering immense losses in men and material. The fighting daily hastens the defeat of Germany. German and Axis troops on the Russian front are estimated at 248 divisions, including 30 armoured divisions. Hitler's timetable envisaged the capture of Moscow in three weeks. The German casualties after six weeks exceed 1,500,000 men, and desertions are increasing." Main Object Stopping German Advance Although there is little news in London of changes on the Russian front, it is pointed out in competent circles that the initiative still rests with the Germans. The Russian counterattacks, although some have been extremely successful, are local defensive measures, and there is no suggestion of a counter-offensive. The main object of such attacks is to stop the German advance, because that must be accomplished before the Russians can themselves successfully undertake a counter-offensive. No doubt a certain amount of time, in fact, some weeks, would be needed for such preparations by the Russian forces, but it is thought probable that the Russian effort might be timed to take place before the Germans can organise their great onslaught.

The Germans are reported in an Ankara message to be preparing for their third massive onslaught on Leningrad, Moscow and Kiev. The third wave might already have been set in motion. A German communique yesterday claimed that German troops had struck deep into the enemy retreating in the Ukraine, and a further " great battle of annihilation " was proceeding south of Kiev. Soviet divisions encircled east of Smolensk, it was claimed, Lad been further compressed.