MOST CRITICAL PERIOD

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 85, Issue 188, 12 August 1941, Page 5

MOST CRITICAL PERIOD

TREND ON RUSSIAN FRONT ANXIOUS DAYS FOR DEFENDERS STATIC LINE FOR WINTER CAMPAIGN MAY BE ESTABLISHED London, Aug. 10. Commentators in London agree that tlie war on the Russian front has entered its most, critical period, and that the trend of the conflict will be determined on the results of the present battle. Military observers do not titni rcstimate the menace of the German southward thrust toward Odessa. While they discount the flambuoyant German claims, they believe that the invaders have made some progress and that there are anxious days ahead for the defenders. The military correspondent of the Daily Herald particularly emphasises the threat to the Russian forces if the German offensive succeeds in severing the three railway links between Kiev and Odessa. This commentator takes the view that Marshal Budenny is being hard pressed. < >n the other hand, the correspondent of The limes on the German frontier, writes confidently of the ability of the Russians to break down the third gnat offensive and accomplish their objective of establishing a static line for the winter campaign.

GERMAN CLAIMS I I SERIOUS THREAT TO ODESSA _ i ABSENCE OF ENTHUSIASM IN BERLIN London, Aug. 10. The Germans claim to have progressed towards both extremes of the great Russian-German front, where the violent efforts to gain the results, made necessary by the failure of the' blitzkrieg in the centre and the growing discontent and disillusionment of the German masses continue to be the ' main themes of the reports from the: German frontier. The Times' Stockholm correspon-f dent says the Finnish and German' progress in the region of Lake, Ladoga, if true, is important, although not surprising. The German : claims of success in Esthonia haver again proved premature. Turi is ap-l patently still in Russian hands, al-; though tJe Germans may soon over-, run the whole of Estonia's interior. | The threat to Odessa is very seri- I ous. The German claims to have j destroyed 25 Russian divisions in the j Southern Ukraine must be exagger-, ated unless a large part of the men' comprising the divisions escaped. : The Dagensnyheter's Berlin cor-, respondent reports a remarkable ab- ; sence of enthusiasm in Berlin; even: the re relied victory communiques) have not stirred the capital. The j people are not interested in the pub-; fished war news because it is all regi-, mented and bears the "propaganda. stamp.”

The German new spaper Das Reich, says German people nowadays are' different from the last war. when] they showed spontaneous enthusiasm; j now they keep their feelings suppressed. "If a man from the enthusi-: astic period of the last war suddenly ' appeared in Berlin to-day he would | find scarcely a single sign that Ihe I High Command has just reported a j very great victory. Have we no ’ hearts? Are we fatalistic? The I people's general apathetic attitude is: not related to indifference. It is a, new form of courage which our gen-' eration has created.”—U.P.A.

“SCORCHED EARTH” RUSSIAN METHODS PROVE EFFECTIVE APPALLING DESOLATION (Recd. 9.10 p.m.) Zurich. Aug. 11. The National Zeitung's Berlin correspondent says that a German Armyreporter, describing Stalin's "scorched earth” methods, stated: “It is impossible to conceive the extent of the destruction and desolation on the gigantic battlefield. Not a single hamlet was spared. Hundreds of thousands of homes were razed and the population fled before the fury of war. The onlyliving things seen were animals whic.i had escaped from custody and refugees who had returned to the sites of their former homes.” —U.P.A.

MAY INVADE CRIMEA GERMAN CONCENTRATION OF BARGES AND SHIPS (Recd. 10.20 p.m.' Ankara, Aug. 11 The National Broadcasting Station quotes reliable Moscow auvices that the Germans may shortly attempt an invasion of the Crimea with the object of supporting the Kiev push. The Germans recently concentrated 250 to 300 naval barges at Constanta, each capable of carrying 400 troops. An additional 400 barges and also 20 Rumanian and 30 Bulgarian freighters are concentrated at other Eiack Sea ports. Fifteen to twenty torpedoboats are being assembled at Rumanian and Bulgarian ports, while at least eight German submarines are *aadi- to protect the fleet.—U.P.A. RAIDERS DISPERSED LUFTWAFFE ATTEMPT ON MOSCOW (Recd. 10.20 p.m.' Moscow. Aug. 11. The Luftwaffe attempted a mass raid on Moscow on the night of August 10. Anti-aircraft guns and night fighters dispersed the raiders. Single planes dropped incendiary and high explosive bombs, setting fire to houses. Several people were killed or injured Military objectives were not damaged. At least five raiders were brought down ■ —U.P-A.

NAZI STRATEGY DIVIDING THE RUSSIANS COMMUNICATIONS PROBLEM APPALLING TASK Rugby, Aug. 10. The commercial newspaper Economist points out that the Germans are j gaining ground in Russia, apparently I at the cost of abandoning, a.t least temporarily, a number ol their original objectives. Instead of driving ■ further towards Leningrad they have moved directly towards U’-e Kholm neighbourhood, midway between the Leningrad and Moscow sectors. Similarly, the direct attack on Kiev may have to be abandoned in favour of a movement to the boundary objective of Odessa. Moreover, both in the Ukraine and at Kholm the Germans i are still trying to divide up the Russian army groups from one :m- -' other—an objective which they claimed to have attained three weeks ago. i The Economist adds that tne third German offensive will not be more | devastating or far-reaching than the first two, which the Russians success- ! fully repulsed. The Germans’ lines oi ' communication are appallingly diffik'ult, and road-builders and railway I workers have to perform their tasks 'under constant guerrilla attacks. The I Russians, on the contrary, have comIpleted their mobilisation, and, considering the chaotic state of the Russian transport at the time of the "purges, ■ their supply system is quite modern. , Another aspect of supply which is discussed by the Economist is the i transport of promised war material ’.from the United States via VladivosI tok or the Atlantic and Russia's I northern ports. It is questionable, it 1 says, whether United States ships can [hope' to ply between San Francisco and Vladivostok without adequate j naval protection. The prime question lin the Pacific, as well as in the Atlantic will be whether naval protecjtior, will be effective if it does not i imply "shooting."—B.O.W.

BALTIC STATES NOT AGAIN INDEPENDENT (Recd. 5.20 p.m.) London, Aug. 10. The Times’ Stockholm correspondent says that Germany has incorIporated Lithuania and Latvia into an entity called Ostland, whose limits are not defined but are believed to comprise not only the Baltic States but parts Russia. Recently Hen Lohse, newly-appointed German commissar for Ostland, arrived at Kaunas and induced the Lithuanian Government to dissolve itself. This Govern- 1 mc-nt was formed in the first week oi the Russian-German war and simultaneously the greater part of the Lithuanian troops transfer* ed their services to Germany instead of to the Red Army, in which they were incorporated ' last year. At the end of July Germany intimated to Kaunus and Riga that the Baltic States would not again become independent but would be administered from Berlin. ! U.P.A. VERY HEAVY LOSSES i GERMAN DIVISIONS CUP UP Rugby, Aug. 10. ' The Red Army newspaper Red Star j reported very heavy losses to ten (German divisions, in addition to all ■ those previously reported. i The newspaper says that intercept‘ed reports from the enemy’s news [service show that the 11th Infantry ! Division suffered 20 per cent, of losses, the 7th Tank Division 35 per cent., the Is6th. 297th. and 299th Infantry Divisions 40 per cent., and the 11th. 13th, 14th, and 16th Tank Divisions 40 per | cent.. while the losses of the 18th I Tank Division were reported to be 1 enormous. i A Russian High Command comimunique states: “During Friday our air force destroyed 14 enemy aircraft. iOur losses were 12 planes. ’’ j According to the latest exact re ports. 81 enemy aircraft were destroyed on Thursday. One enemy Eooat was sunk and three others were damaged by bombs. —8.0. V/.