CITY OF LENINGRAD NOT SURROUNDED

Southland Times, Issue 24536, 10 September 1941, Page 5

CITY OF LENINGRAD NOT SURROUNDED

COMMUNICATIONS STILL OPEN SOVIET VICTORY IN GOMEL AREA (United Press Association —Telegraph Copyright) (Rec. 1.10 a.m.) LONDON, September 9. There is nothing to support the German claim to have encircled Leningrad. They have approached fairly close to the city only from the south-west, hut not close enough for practical large-scale shelling. Marshal Klementi Voroshilov, who has personally taken command in the city, is keeping open his communications with the rest of Russia. Marshal Simeon Timoshenko’s smashing victory in the Gomel area has aroused the greatest enthusiasm among the Soviet peoples. The Germans, after three weeks of hard fighting are in full retreat in this sector and the columns they have pushed forward along the Smolensk road towards Moscow and towards the Dnieper are m danger. The Germans claim that their mobile divisions are on the Neva, but Russian guerrillas are harassing their lines of communication. It is stated in London that British aid for Russia is developing very satisfactorily. Considerable supplies have already been despatched and steps are also being taken to give economic assistance to the Soviet. The question of supply will be thoroughly examined at the coming conference in Moscow.