FIGHTING ON WIDE FRONT

Timaru Herald, Volume CLI, Issue 22253, 22 April 1942, Page 5

FIGHTING ON WIDE FRONT

Nazi Counter-Attacks

Repulsed

Russian Air Successes

LONDON, Apr. 21

Fighting in the spring thaw and slush continues on a wide front to Russia. In the Leningrad area the Russians have taken several villages. Spirited German counter-

attacks have been repulsed. The sole part of the Russian front where appreciable territorial progress by either side appears still possible in the very near future is the Finnish eastern stretch between the Murmansk area and the river Svir, report* the Stockholm correspondent of 'Tfie Times.” Meantime the only part where serious obstacles are reported is the southern end betweep Lakes Ladoga and Onega. Quite obviously the Russian objective is the recapture of that part of the Murmansk railway and the stretch of foe Leningrad-white Sea canal between Lakes Ladoga and Onega, but it is doubtful whether this can be achieved before the swampy territory becomes soft. Gregt activity continues around Leningrad’s approaches, with the initiative divided between the Russians and Germans. Each side is able to inflict heavy casualties and keep their adversaries busy, but no decisive progress can be expected either Way until the middle of May when foe mud hardens. This is largely, true about the whole front to the Black Sea, though hard fighting in the mud continues at many places. The Germans have been attacking heavily in the past few days In the Lake Ilmen sector, presumably still bent on relieving the remnants of the encircled Sixteenth Army. No changes are reported, but casualties have been heavy on both sides. Moscow radio says that Soviet Fleer Air Arm fighters, without loss, shot down 25 German bombers and damaged 12 when the enemy attempted a mass raid on Murmansk. Only a few of the enemy planes penetrated and dropped foelr bombs haphazardly. On the Crimean front fighters made a head-on attack on a German bomber formation, shooting down eight out of 18. Berlin radio claims that coastal batteries repulsed further . Russian attempts to land at Theodosia. A Russian cavalry division cut the railway South of Kursk, but was forced to retreat. A Russian communique states that 31 German planes were destroyed on Suhday for foe loss of 13 Russian. Between April 5 and April 11 the Germans lost 112 planes and foe Russians 33. In Russia, Soviet troops continue to gain local successes, to spite of the thaw and floods. Heavy fighting is reported north and south of Leningrad, with new successes for the Red Army. North of Lake Ilmen, which is 110 miles south of Lehtograd, General Meretskov’s forces are reported to have made a further advance along the Volkhov River to foe direction of Novgorod. On the north-western front also, the Germans were dislodged from a forest to which they were concentrated for an attack. Here the Russians took 27 pillboxes. On anbfoet part of the same front a German attack Was defeated and the attackers’ headquarters were destroyed by artillery fire. Smolensk tinder Shellfire On the central ffont, Marshal Zhukov's long-range guns are said to be within snellfag distance of Smolensk. This is not confirmed officially, but the latest Soviet communique reports the destruction of enemy blockhouses oti this front. Unnamed fortified positions were captured on the central front yesterday in two sectors.