Russians Report Frustration of Enemy Attempts

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 July 1941, Page 5

Russians Report Frustration of Enemy Attempts

THRUST TOWARDS LENINGRAD HELD GREAT BATTLES RAGING IN CENTRAL SECTOR LONDON, July 8. A German communique says nothing’ to confirm last night’s announcement that a new major offensive against the Stalin Line had begun. It says merely that operations are continuing according to plan. Nor is there any hint of the new offensive in the latest Russian communique, which speaks of fierce fighting at many points and states that all German attempts to advance have been frustrated. . The German effort to smash through towards Leningrad has been held, the Russians state, while in the central sector, in which the Germans are attempting a thrust towards Moscow, great battles are raging in three areas. The Germans aie trying to develop a pincers movement towards Smolensk and the Russians say the enemy is making no progress and speak of counter-attacks north of Minsk. In the south, the Russians claim to have destroyed 35 heavy tanks and two battalions of infantry. The Germans continue to hurl tanks and motorised units into the battle. The Russians are meeting the attack with fierce opposition. The Germans are making desperate efforts to cross the Dniester, but the Russians say they are wiping out the Germans group by group.