GERMAN WAR MAP OF EAST FRONT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 85, Issue 190, 14 August 1941, Page 5

GERMAN WAR MAP OF EAST FRONT

ENCIRCLING OF ODESSA (Recd. 7.40 p.m.) London, Aug. 12. Reproduction of the latest, ostensibly official. German war map shows a front from the Black Sea to the Gulf of Riga. It starts from the mouth of the Dniester River, semi-circling Odessa, to the R<er Bug. between Nikolayev and Voznesensk; thence curving northeast to a level with Pervonaisk; then back north-west to a point eastward of Uman; thence northwards to where it crosses the Pripet River and the Pinsk-Bryansk railway, from whence it sweeps curvingly through the railway between Smolensk and Viazmm back to Veikiyeluki, following the Lovat River to the southward of Lake Ilmen; then straight to a point northward of Gdov. after which it goes across Lake Peipus north-west to Tana: thence straight to Parnu. The Times Stockholm correspondent says that, judging from ail the available information, this map is approximately correct regarding the positions at the week-end. It is noteworthy’ that the line nowhere touches the Gulf of Finland, but shows Narva. Tallinn, Paldiski and also over half of Estonia.is still in Russian hands. It is necessary to remember, however, that no definite line exists. as the fighting zone is mostly 20. frequently 100 miles deep.—U.P.A.

radio announced that during Luftwaffe attacks against Ochakov on Aug - ust 11 they sank three small ships and damaged one. A Moscow communique says: ‘‘Combined operations by tanks, aeroplanes, artillery and infantry routed a large German tank column in the direction lof Korosten. During the night of | August 11-12. our troops continued I their fighting with the enemy in the Kholm. Solsti Smolensk. Korosten and Uman directions. In other directions and sectors of the front there were no large-scale military ©Derations. Our Air Force, in co-operation with land forces, continued io inflict blow* on motor and mechanised units and infantry of the enemy on the battlefield. and attacked his air force on aerodromes.” ■ Will Odessa Be Another Tobruk? ■' The Times’ correspondent on the ! German frontier, referring to the ' fact that no fighting has so far been ' reported from Odessa, points out that ‘ its reputedly almost impregnable fortijti cations are based on similar principles to those at Tobruk. ] The British United Press Moscow correspondent says that private reports from the front indicate that the Russians threw the Germans back for I some distance in the Smolensk sector.

Finnish military experts arriving in Berlin from the Russo-Finnish frontier declared that the capture of Leningrad was not expected for several weeks. The experts added that the offensive against Leningrad was not envisaged for some weeks unless the German offensive in the southern Ukraine terminated earlier than was scheduled. Finnish troops north-eastward of Lake Ladago are now about 65 miles northward of the Stalin Canal, and are separated from Leningrad by swamps, where progress must be slow. because tanks and heavy 7 artillery cannot be used. The Finns emphasise an imperative need for conserving Finnish manpower and Finnish troops have not attempted to storm Hanko, because they are sure it will fall into their hands after the collapse of Russia. The Stockholm newspaper Social Demokraten reports that Russians on the Finnish front are using a shell containing petrol, which bursts 200 feet over the ground, igniting forests. Reports from the Viazma from states that the Russians are using gigantic modern tanks, reaching 250 tons in weight, with nine millimetre steel plating. 75 millimetre guns and flame throwers. A neutral .journalist who visited Smolensk declared that never before had he seen such a frightful spectacle in Warsaw or Belgrade compared with Smolensk. Everything was burnt or battered down, except a bank and a large hotel. It was a city of th? dead.