DETERMINED FIGHTERS

Waikato Times, Volume 130, Issue 21708, 20 April 1942, Page 3

DETERMINED FIGHTERS

AIR FORCE SUCCESSES BATTLE FOR LENINGRAD Oflirial Wireless) (Received April 20, 12.30 p.m.) RUGBY, April 19 I The exploits of six Russian planes which routed 28 Germans with heavy j loss to the enemy is described by i the Moscow radio. The six planes, the radio stated, j met a group of German planes con- ! sisting of 15 heavy German bombers j and live MElOO'js on the Karelian front. In spite of the numerical superiority of the enemy the Russians attacked. Three enemy planes were destroyed, one of them being rammed. The enemy received reinforcements of eight MElo9’s. The Russian pilots rammed two further MElOO's, and after 20 minutes’ fighting the enemy planes fled. All the Russian planes returned to their aerodrome, one with a damaged wing with which the pilot rammed an enemy machine. Battle Over Aerodrome A description of another notable exploit comes from the Leningrad front. A few days ago Russian planes carried out a successful raid on an enemy aerodrome. Nine German planes were destroyed and about 10 damaged on the ground. Two were shot down in aerial combat over the aerodrome. Meanwhile the latest Russian communique has no material changes to report during yesterday. On Friday six German planes were destroyed, against four Russian machines. A supplement to the communique adds that in the last two days on the Leningrad front 1500 German officers and men were killed in fierce fighting, and 3160 have been killed in the last few days on the Kalinin front. Unsuccessful German attacks on the south-western front are reported in a Soviet communique which says that the enemy lost over 350 men killed. Position Surrounded On the central front the Russians surrounded an enemy position and inflicted severe losses. The result of German attempts during the past month to regain the initiative on the Leningrad front, states a Kuibyshev message, has been that General Mereskoff, the Soviet commander there, nas defeated two divisions which had originally been intended for the spring offensive. These are reserves of the Adolf Hitler S.S. Division and the 20th Motorised Division. German efforts during the past few days to break the Soviet front in the Leningrad sector have been unsuccessful, and yesterday the Germans lost at least 300 men killed. The message says the Russians are continuing to advance against the Finns despite the increasing resistance of the Finns, who have lost thousands of men. in the last two days. Russians Capture Fortresses The Moscow radio reports that the Russians are capturing one fortress after another in the Demidovo sector, 18 miles north-west of Smolensk. Three German divisions were beaten back with heavy losses in these operations. Partisans are playing a big part in the Russian successes in the Smolensk region. It is estimated that they have killed 11,000 Germans since they began operations some months ago, including three generals. Moscow has stated officially that in the Kalinin sector, north-east of Smolensk, over 3000 German officers and men have been wiped out in the past few days. The British Broadcasting Corporation’s European service announced that Field-Marshal R. von Leeb has been relieved of his command of the northern sector in Russia. His successor will be General von Kuecliler, hitherto commander of the Eighteenth German Army.