Russo-German War

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume XXXXI, Issue 9640, 27 June 1941, Page 2

Russo-German War

NAZI DRIVE IN POLAND

ENE£Y MOBILE UNITS BftEAKIKRGGiiH

REPULSES ELSEWHERE

INVADERS HELD IN THE SOUTH

LONDON, June 26

A communique issued in Moscow last night states: “Enemy mobile units on Wednesday developed an offensive in the Wilno (Vilna) and Baranowicze areas in Russian-occu-pied Poland. Large air formations engaged the enemy in these areas. Enemy tanks during the fighting succeeded in breaking through in the Wilno-Oszmiand area. Enemy attempts to break through in the Brody and Lwow areas, in the south of Poland, encountered strong resistance from the Red Army, supported from the air, and enemy mechanised forces suffered heavy losses. We recaptured Przemysl by swift counter-attacks.

“In the Czernowitz area we repulsed strong enemy forces who attempted to cross the River Prutb. Our air force dealt devastating blows at German aerodromes in Finland and also bombed Memel, enemy ships north of Liepaja, on the Baltic coast, and petrol reservoirs at Constanza, Rumania. The Red Army firmly hell itc positions in the Bessarabian sector. The enemy attempted to advance in the Sculeni area but suffered a heavy defeat and tlie remnants -were pressed back beyond the River Pruth.”

A later Moscow communique states: “We have halted the main German drive to the Ukraine. We repulsed a threefold attack on Czernowitz an dinfiicteß heavy losses on the enemy.”

A Berlin spokesman to-day described the operations as the “most gigantic mass of troops thrown into one battle.” He said that the German High Command was determined to win the war in the shortest possible time, and had thrown in almost tlie entire German war machine regardless of losses which might be suffered. One million German troops are now taking part in the operations, while a further 1,000,000 men are in reserve. The spokesman added that the Germans are using more aeroplanes than in the battle for France last year.

DEFENCE OF FINLAND

RUSSIAN VIOLATION OF HER TERRITORY

TROOPS THROUGH SWEDEN LONDON, June 26

Announcements that Finland lias entered tlie war, that Sweden lias agreed to the passage of troops from Norway and that Denmark, Hungary and Slovakia have broken off relations with Russia indicate that Germany is intent on gaining all the help she can secure. After a secret session of tlie Riksdag it was announced that Sweden, while keeping out of the war, had agreed to allow a German division to cross Sweden “in a form compatible with Sweden’s sovereignty.” The Finnish Legation in London stated that tlie Soviet bombing of 10 towns and villages several times yesterday, and the shelling of Finnish islands from Hanko, were violations of Finnish territory, and compelled Finland from now on to defend herself by every means in her power.

HEW PEAK REACHED

DESTRUCTIVE RAIDS BY ROYAL AIR FORCE FLANK AID FOR RUSSIA LONDON, June 26. Britain's air offensive is now believed to equal, if not to exceed, the biggest German raids against Britain. It reached a new peak of ferocity yesterday when packed formations of Blenheim bombers, escorted by squadrons of fighters, sped all day across the French coast and pierced the enemy’s lines to a depth of 40 miles. Targets were attacked over a wide area.

The aeronautical correspondent of the “Daily Express” says the offensive is definitely designed as a flank movement to aid Russia, by forcing the Germans to withdraw the major portion of their air forces from the eastern front. The Royal Air Force reports that it is now facing infer-' ior equipment.

Following the fourteenth consecutive night raid on industrial targets. Germany for the first time admits that serious destruction has beeit caused. Bombs dropped in western Germany on Tuesday night caused “very serious damage in many quart--eis > Berlin states, and the civilian population suffered severely.

NEARING END OF TETHER

THE VICHY DEFENDERS IN SYRIA ARMISTICE NOT UNLIKELY

LONDON, June 25

In the opinion of Australian staff officers it would not be surprising if the Vichy defenders seek an armi’s.tice within a few -days, says a wa? correpondent at Haifa. It appears to be established that they are now iieai ly at the end of their tether arid that they exhausted their lhain punch without success during the Damascus and Merjjyun counter-attacks, tin the other hand the British forces being steadily reinforced.

The fall of Damascus, and the moral effect of the news that the Germans are now pitted against Russia, has given Vichy cause to think. It is therefore hoped that they will take the wise course of seeking honourable terms of surrender.