LENINGRAD FRONT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24890, 14 April 1942, Page 5

LENINGRAD FRONT

RUSSIANS GAIN GROUND WEDGE IN GERMAN LINES LONDON, Apl. 12. Although the thaw on the eastern front has converted the countryside into a sea of mud, the Red Army is giving the Germans no rest. Soviet troops have occupied an important strategical position on the Leningrad front. Every German battery defending the position was destroyed. Earlier reports told of many tank battles on several sectors. The Russians under General Meretzkov, on the Leningrad front, with a spearhead of cavalry, have driven a deep wedge into the German lines, splitting communications, states the Soviet army newspaper Red Star. The Germans threw in six fresh battalions and used dive-bombers in groups of upwards of 40, but failed to dislodge the Russians. Forced Labour Released The advancing Russians on the Smolensk front entered two villages and released 8000 Russians who were gathered by the Germans for forced labour. Repulsing 12 consecutive attacks by armoured forces on the south-western front, the Russians destroyed dozens of tanks and killed over 1000 Germans. The Russians are now attacking a German defence line consisting of concrete fortifications. A German communique admits that “ major Russian forces," supported by planes and tanks, carried out attacks in the Kerch Peninsula. The communique claims that the attacks were repulsed. Russian Tanks in Action Parts of the Leningrad area are beginning to resemble conditions in Flanders in the last war, with trenches and dug-outs practically continuous and stationary, and both sides constantly within range. The weather has nowhere really brought activity to a standstill, but the German military authorities expressed surprise that the Russians at the week-end could bring tanks into action between Leningrad and Lake Ilmen, as well as the middle front, the Donetz Basin, and the Crimea, in spite of the soft ground. The Russians are still aggressive around Leningrad, but the German grip holds. The ringed remnants of the Sixteenth Army at Staraya Russa are regarded as a classic example of the German “ hedgehog ” defence system, but the Germans have paid the price of hundreds of destroyed planes in order to keep the isolated “hedgehog” alive, and its size is believed to have been diminished from 96,000 to below 50.000 men.

The greatest weight of Russian aggressiveness around Kharkov has shifted from the south to the north of the town, particularly around Byelgorod railway junction.

SOVIET NAVAL SUCCESSES ENEMY VESSELS SUNK (Rec. 7 p.m.) RUGBY, Apl. 12. A Soviet communique states that on Friday 17 German planes were destroyed for the loss of five Russian machines. In the Barents Sea, Soviet inaval units sank enemy shipping totalling 7000 tons. A supplementary communique states that in one sector of the northwestern front Soviet troops continue their offensive operations. In one day they wiped out 655 Germans. A few days ago in the same sector 20 German planes were destroyed—ls in aerial combat and five on the ground. In a sector of the central front Soviet troops repelled a fierce enemy counter-attack. The enemy left on the battlefield more than 200 dead. Booty was also captured. On another sector of the same front the Russians, breaking the enemy resistance, advanced and inflicted severe losses on the enemy in man-power and material. TRUST IN LEADER A JAPANESE IMPRESSED (Rec. 11 p.m.) NEW YORK, Apl. 13. According to the Tokio radio. General Yoshitsugu Tatekawa, the former Ambassador to the Soviet, has arrived from Moscow. He declared that the Russians were determined to bear all hardships in the firm belief that they would win the war. General Tatekawa explained the Russians’ ability to endure hardships by their national character, the results of Government propaganda, and their experiences of maladministration under the Czarist regime. He added that he was impressed by the people's trust in M. Stalm, which resembled the confidence the Germans placed in Herr Hitler.