CAPTURE LIKELY

Waikato Times, Volume 129, Issue 21532, 22 September 1941, Page 6

CAPTURE LIKELY

POSITION OF KIEV CLAIMS BY GERMANY RUSSIAN COUNTER-ATTACK (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received Sept. 22. 3.15 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 21 Although it is not admitted by Moscow there seems little doubt that Kiev has fallen, but it is possible that some centres of resistance in the vicinity are still unconquered. German sources claim that the city was captured at noon on September 19. Reports from Moscow suggest that the German High Command is now devoting greater attention to Odessa, and also is increasing the pressure on Leningrad. Despite the continuous German air offensive the Russian troops on the Leningrad front are still counterattacking vigorously and the Germans are unable to claim a new advance. Indeed, the Germans seem to have not progressed materially for several days, while the defenders retain the initiative at many points.

The Moscow radio says that after! suffering heavy losses during unsuc- ; cc~sful attacks westward of Leningrad the Germans attempted a surprise attack at a new un-named point. T.*mks were sent in to smash j the Russian positions, but were re- j pulsed with artillery. The Pravda says that powerful artillery barrages are driving the Germans into hastily-dug trenches and are constantly upsetting the Ger- ! man plans. ! The Russians recaptured two vil- \ lages within a strategically important j railway zone. Germans Lose City The Red Star reports that Russian ! thrusts drove the Germans from an unnamed city southwards of Leningrad. The reinforced Germans succeeded in recapturing the city, but were again driven out and suffered heavy losses despite numerical auperiority. The newspaper claims that the Germans have lost 40 per cent of the men engaged in the battle for Leningrad. Although the violence of the fightii.g around Odessa has heightened the city is holding firm. A Moscow report states that the enemy has not only failed to advance. but was even repulsed at several points. It added that the favourite and most effective method of meeting the enemy attacks at Odessa was a bayonet charge after machine-gun fire. There is no further news of the fighting in the vicinity of the Crimea, which the German High Command spokesman claimed was entirely cut off. making the position of the Russians on the north coast of the Black Sea increasingly difficult. Devastatiop at Kiev

Contradicting earlier Axis state- j ments, the German news agency \ states that Kiev is in a state of in- i describable devastation. All sup- j plies have been removed or de- i stroyed. and the water and electricity ! works put out of action, “cruelly en- ! dangering the lives of tens of thou- , sands.” An Italian report says Kiev's fall ] was due to complete exhaustion. The : city had been waterless for a week. The market had also been empty for a month and had been closed for a week. Russians wounded in the great battle for the Eastern Ukraine were taken mainly to Kiev*, where schools, j theatres, hotels and private houses are filled with wounded. Nevertheless the Germans were obliged to overcome a belt of concrete forts, a minefield, and the high-tension wire defences, and engaged in terrible hand-to-hand fighting before the city was conquered. It adds that the advanced German armoured forces were thrown back rHer reaching the centre of Kiev and '•nly . ucceeded in taking the city after three days of fighting. The Germans found that residents

CAPTURED BY GERMANS MARSHAL VOROSHILOFFS SON (United Press Assn. —Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received Sept. 22, 3.15 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 21 The Rome radio announced that the Germans have captured Marshal Voroshiloff’s son. LEND AND LEASE HUGE NEW APPROPRI ATIONS CONFERENCE OF LEADERS (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received Sept. 22, 3.15 p.m.) HYDE PARK, Sept. 21 President Roosevelt has summoned Congressional leaders to the White House for a conference to emphasise the necessity of quick Congressional action on the request for an additional 5,985,000.000 dollars of Lend-and-Lease funds.