RED ARMY TAKES INITIATIVE

Southland Times, Issue 24547, 23 September 1941, Page 5

RED ARMY TAKES INITIATIVE

Battle In Leningrad Sector LONDON, September 21. In many places in the Leningrad sector the Red Army has taken the initiative. The Germans, who have lost 40 per cent, of the divisions they have thrown into the battle, are still unable to advance a single step. At Odessa, too, the Germans are suffering very heavy losses and there the strength of the defences is • increasing daily. According to despatches from the front line the Germans lost at least 50,— 000 dead in the approaches to Kiev. Despite this they hurled in reinforcements, including crack tank and aviation units. The Red Army fought with the greatest courage and exerted every effort to inflict the heaviest possible losses on the enemy. A News Agency message from Moscow states that in the central sector the Russian forces are advancing slowly, but surely and are mopping up enemy troops. The latest despatch from the front reports that one division has recovered 14 villages and has advanced 20 kilometres. Fighting continues there with the Red Army driving forward relentlessly. SETTLEMENTS RECAPTURED In Leningrad the defenders are dealing out to the enemy blow for blow and are using the slogan “not a step will we retreat.” In a number of local skirmishes the Red Army is reported to have recaptured settlements and destroyed enemy planes. The continued success of the steadily growing partisan warfare behind the 'German lines in White Russia is referred to in a Sovief supplementary communique, which states: “During the first part of September partisans killed 650 enemy officers and soldiers, destroyed 12 road bridges, two railway bridges, 23 tanks, 224 motor-cars, damaged six guns and 54 motor-cycles, and set fire to two large stores. The torpedoing and sinking of an enemy supply ship of nearly 6000 tons is also reported.” A communique from Hitler’s headquarters states that in the battle of en- . circlement which is proceeding east of Kiev the armies under Field-Marshal Walther von Reichenau and Generals I von Kleist and Guderian have annihilated large sections of the enemy and have already taken 150,000 prisoners. The High Command communique says that the annihilation of the enemy encircled east and south-east of Kiev is progressing German units which have penetrated from the west have pushed on across the Dnieper to the east and have linked up with the forces which attacked across the Desna. Violent enemy attempts to break through have failed. On the southern flank of the offensive front, the Germans have reached the Sea of Azov. The way was _ cleared for this passage by the heroic action of an infantry division which forded across the wide lower reaches of the Dnieper near Borislav and held the position in the face of all counter-attacks. A special German communique issued tonight said: “We have captured Arensburg, capital of Osel Island. Most of Osel Island is thus securely in our hands. Only scattered sections of the Osel garrison remain on the western end of the island. Their destruction is imminent.” Rome radio announces that the Germans have captured Marshal Klementi Voroshilov’s son. NO NEW ADVANCE Despite the continuous German air offensive the Russian troops on the Leningrad front are still counterattacking vigorously and the Germans are unable to claim any new advance. Indeed, the Germans seem to have not progressed materially for several days . while the defenders retain the initiative at many points. The Moscow radio says that after suffering heavy losses during, unsuccessful attacks westwards of Leningrad the Germans attempted a surprise attack at a new and unnamed point. Tanks sent in to smash the Russian positions were repulsed with : artillery. The Russian newspaper Pravda says ; powerful artillery barrages are driving : the Germans into hastily-dug trenches and constantly upsetting the German plans. The Russians recaptured two villages within a strategically impor- ■ tant railway zone. ,