BATTLE FOR LENINGRAD

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLX, Issue 14852, 25 September 1941, Page 5

BATTLE FOR LENINGRAD

PROPORTIONS NEVER BEEN EQUALLED

NAZIS FAIL TO MAKE ANT PROGRESS STRUGGLE IN UKRAINE CONTINUES. United Press, Assn.—Bv KUictxie Telegraph—Copyright MOSCOW, September 24 Expressing warm approval of Britain’s “Tanks for Russia’’ week, M. Lozovsky at a press conference said: “It is not only of military and economic importance. It is of great political significance, showing solidarity between the two countries and that co-operation on which joint victory must rest.” In reply to a question be said the Germans were not superior in the air in the Kiev area; but bad more tanks. “The German air losses are much heavier than ours, and their force has been greatly weakened, but it is still powerful. - ’ H e ridiculed the German High Command’s figures of casualties on the Eastern Front as 395,000 dead, wounded and missing, and pointed out that the civil death, rate in Germany for 194:) was thirteen per thousand whereas the mortality - rate at the front claimed by the Germans was between five and six per thousand. “According to these claims the front is a health resort.” The Soviet forces, according to the Associated Press Moscow correspondent, are counter-attacking on a hundred mile front with i'. view to easing the pro-sure on Budenny's armies who after retreating about-turned and are battling in the Glukhov aria, also at Poltava which General Rundstedt claimed to have captured five days age. The message decs not say where the counter-attack is occurring, but Moscow officially repeats success iu a river bsttle on the central front

Tile battle for Leningrad wherein, according to M. Lozovsky. the fighting has assumed such proportions that in the liumoe; of participants and casualties has not been equalled even in this war, continues with increasing violence. The latest Soviet reports state that the Nazis were dt iver- back in one sector with bayonets while the Russians charged through artillery fire to retake a v.ital bridge.

NAZI MENACE AT SMOLENSK. Wb en attention is turned to the immense fluid battlelines southward* of the Smolensk region the observer is confronted with the greatest immediate menace to the Soviet, but there is plenty of evidence that in many cases the Russians have nor lost in '-lie slightest degree their capacity for fierce counter-attacks.

The Times’ Stockholm correspondent says the Germans are apparently masters of the Lower Dnieper from the Black Sea. to the bend around Zaporozhe. They also hold all the territory eastwards of this reach of the Dnieper as far as the Sea of Azov somewhere southward of Melitopol. The possession of the Dnieper reach between Zaporozhe and Kremenchug seems still disputed, but it may largely be held by the Russians whose reports do no admit that the Germans have advanced beyond the Poltava district where the retiring Russians checked the drive against Kharkov last week-end. According to Berlin reports the German assatiit on Kiev was greatly facilitated 'by artificial log laid by new rapid methods in the neighbourhood of the intended target.

The Russian spokesman (M. Lozovsky) pooh-poohed the German

claims that large Russian force?? were encircled eastwards of Kiev. “The Germans made similar claims elsewhere but were forced to admit their untruth.”

FINNS MAKE SLOW PROGRESS

Reports from Stockholm say that the German-Finmsh forces arc continuing their slow progress eastwards towards the White Sea from the Salla region. Between Lake Ladoga and l ake Onega the Finns are apparently about 20 miles from Petrozavodsk which they are bombing. The Times’ Stockholm correspondent says the people of Leningrad arc reported to be suffering great hardships not so much from th 0 actual shelling as from interruptions in the water and electricity supplies which have disorganised the public services. From Finland the environs of Leningrad are a terrifying sight, especially at night when the incessant firing and the explosion of Russian and German shells is seen across Kronstadt Bay.

Only two of a group of German night bombers penetrated the Moscow area and dropped several high explosives and a small number of incendiaries. The damage was insignificant.