STILL HELD UP

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24050, 22 August 1941, Page 7

STILL HELD UP

GEKHAN LEFT WING CLAIMS FROM BERLIN AREA WEST OF DNIEPER LONDON. August -'<> While the German communique says attacks were successfully continued against the few bridge-heads on the Dnieper still in enemy hands, Berlin officials admitted that the left of the army in the Ukraine was still baulked by the Russians, and heavy fighting was proceeding in the Kiev and Korosten area.

According to despatches to Moscow from the front the Germans' drive from the south against Leningrad is not progressing and the Red Army is stubbornly resisting beyond Kingisepp. However, the German thrust in the direction of Novgorod has brought the fighting within 40 miles of the Leningrad-Mos-cow railway. Marshal Timoshenko is resisting the thrust toward Gomel, and is endeavouring to foil an apparent German attempt to outflank the Dnieper line to the south and strike at Marshal Budenny s rear. The Moscow correspondent of the Associated Press reports that Marshal Budenny counter-attacked and recaptured a town in the Ukraine and destroyed two German battalions. No confirmation of the German claims to have occupied the whole of the South Ukrainian area west ol the Dnieper has been received in London, but it is pointed out by competent commentators that these claims have not been denied by tlip Soviet communiques. Enemy claims regarding captures of men and material are viewed with the greatest mistrust, the opinion being expressed that the scale of operations and the size of the forces involved would preclude the probability of any accuracy in the computation; but even taking the German figures at their face value, the numbers claimed are not impressive, and lend colour to the belief that Marshal Budenny has successfully crossed the Dnieper with the greater part of his army intact.

NEW POLISH ARMY LONDON, August 20 The Russian and Polish High Commands have concluded a military pact, according to the Moscow wireless. General Sikorski, the Polish Prime Minister, has appointed General Anders to be commander-in-chief of the Polish army in Russia. DUST STORMS AT TOBRUK LONDON, August '2O A communique issued from Cairo headquarters states that at Tobruk heavy dust storms have restricted activity. There has been some enemy shelling. In the frontier area enemy motor transports were damaged by artillery fire.