LOCAL RUSSIAN SUCCESS IN CENTRAL SECTOR

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 85, Issue 231, 1 October 1941, Page 5

LOCAL RUSSIAN SUCCESS IN CENTRAL SECTOR

AIRBORNE ATTACK ON CRIMEA LENINGRAD BATTLE STILL RAGES Loudon, Sept. On the Fa' ’ in front Marshal Timoshenko. commanding the So\ iet annii s in the central sector, is following np his success in a big lank battle with the Germans, whoam still in full retreat over a balth livid which has become a German "tank cemetery.” Two more villages L.-iv*- been raptured by the Russians. These villages -re "littered” with German tanks. One report stabs that this entxtgvmem has cost ti e Germans 2OJMI) men. but that is not confirmed in Moscow. Wlelc Marshal T imoshenko’s advance is encouraging, it innst hi remembered that it is slow, compared with the rapiditv of the thrust made by the Germans. Fiirthei north, the battle for Leningrad still rages. ||- |-e is link- further news of the fighting in the Crinn a 'irfor. wlnTi preparations fora big airborne attack by the Germans are said to be complete. • h:u>K> -in th ivl 1 positions of the opposinn Inr -s i - elude a alii: it »>iv. .mil lake of uromnl in the l.eliiiigrml ;n . .1, al-o nme • th< r .1 ntat of then ■th S ■ , . . which r. <-. irly lost » rrouki shape as the result of Gem ral Tii ■ shenko’s cot ntcr-attarks, particularly round Elnia. when i' successes w. >* soii < u hat extended at the week-end. The S»i ,t Information Bure, q to n’sht deci;: d that tti neral Glide- ■ s forces are s ill ret eating, following a recent repulse near Bryansk, an I the Russians have captured two more villages

General Gi ctaaii withdrawing south-wistw.ir is. tr d to establish a new line, i it General Timoshenko’s units wo -ted the German rearguar.. s. Half the German 23rd Motoris. • It.fantry Regiment which linsueci -sfi,’’v attempted to defend one i lav coil' sled of youths of 1' who reached the front the pr» . oils. week.

(Reed. 7.25 p.m • London. Sept. 29. Describing th- recent ti-hling on the central front Major Ananayei. in an article in th Sov.et War Ni says that Genet < Guderian - advance against Bryants .isfe planned to coincide with the ance in the Valdai hills, where the ilerman first tank group aimed t . establish iteelf. Guderian, com:. ■ der ot the second tank group, aime to take Ro.-i >il and develop a brea through towards Moscow oetweer. Rosloi. and Bryansk. The extrene southern wing would swing « ith-east.sards and capture Kursk. M irshal Timoshenko s counter-offensive defrated these intentions.

Foiled in their attempts io take Bryansk from R slovl. the Germans wheeled south and attacked from Pochep. When t:.<s attempt was also defeated Guderiat. turned still further southwards and t ed a three-pronged attack, whereuj. t the Red Army garrison at BrjaJc marched southwards along the I esna River and engaged Guderian ■ Trubchevsk. The Germans retreat- after several days fighting and gav. he Russians an opportunity for a - lunter-offensive which uaa launch- I in several sectors. The Germans we-. beaten back all along the line b-tween Poehep and Novgorodsx event an t around Pochep dozens of village.- -ere retaken. Thirt-en Germ, i divisions participated in the batt . consisting of four motorised, five intntry and lour tank divisions. The t .k and motorised division.- alone si. lered 20,000 casualties and iost 57" .rmoured cars. 1525 lorries. 196 plares and 206 guns.— U.PA. London. Sept. 29. Latest inform, on reaching London shows that vere fighting continues on all pa is of the Russian front. The Gert ns continue to be held up in an at near Poltava and in the Crimea umbers of heavy enemy air atta< k lave been made on communications i th on railways and roads, but the G-rmans appear to have made very - le or no progress on the isthmus The Telegraph Stockholm correspond' -♦ says th attack against the Crimea took on • mendous dimensions when ear - -day panzer brigades launches! new mass attack from the village Kalanchak against the defences o Perekop Isthmus. General Rundstu ■ has concentrated 12 full divisions early 750X100 men on this front. as and Heinkels are raiding Ru_s=: -itions and lines of communicat r thout slop, nut the defender- canisation and morale is unsh The Germans' frontal attacks i e past five days have all been < and spectacular failures. The Telegraph ... ~ that it is believed in Stockh hat the Germans intend to launch gantic air-borne invasion of the C ? According to information re by Russian circles in Sloe- four regular •'Wehrmacht'' <1 - are standing by in Rumania easiness for the invasion of the while shock spearhead forces sting of three special paratroo ■-ons of 7000 men each am , picked S.S divisions are as ed on the Bulgarian airfields ua Burgas and also Ruse Th- ns also report the arrival of If’ ken transport planes at these is also paratroops at Con Tulcea and Silistra. No further inf : -n is available supporting an ea report that the German on-lauzr dnst Kharkov has slrsadv begti brisk engagement.- have ore’ll ■ various points In which the R: are often the attacker- Th- f adio admitted that the Ru.-.-.ar the southern front laurrh'-d a vith numerically great** - sup- or res.’’ which were repulsed af r P tank encounters. The sudden *io ■. noun nf the German advance ir . Ukraine may merely man that t niOst advanced troops have het n :e d and that the German High ( miand is making the customary p rations for a k

further battering ram push in great force.

A German communique states that German and Italian troops nu flanked and destroyed three Soviet north-east of Dnepropeti >vsk and cantured prisoners, the enemy being causht in a swam: - district an suffering heavy and bk lv losses. A supplementary Ru>>iar commun. »’.:•* states on September 27 Soviet i- o .ps inflated heavy - in one i*erti»r of the southern fr nt to the 2nd, and 4th. Rumanian brkedes. 2500 enemy soldiers and oflit • \s being Incomplete ficu!<- 'how that '< • .r iroons in :h> fightir. captured 5- ddiers. 47 guns t- ■ tanks and imar machine-gun*, and i les as w 1’ 'as a large quantitv of an.munition !th? Russans continuing o inflict los on the enem> in th - sector. In .. • st front the Soviet Air Force ■ 4roved 47 j motor-cars and three gun batteries. They also routed three enemy battalions. In anothe- sec* of the north-west front th" air force destroyed 30 tanks. 40 n: ■ r-ears and I routed a company of infantry. In one isector of the south-west r mt the air ; force destroyed 6 ) cars and several | guns and machine-guns. Ten enemy i plants were shot down. I n a sector of the no h-west front sim Finnish soldi.’ - ha\ been killed during the last t *.o lays. Soviet troops captured th eg ins and 15 machine-guns and ammunition. U.P.A.