HEAVILY DEFEATED IN CENTRAL SECTOR

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 June 1941, Page 6

HEAVILY DEFEATED IN CENTRAL SECTOR

According to Russian Communique DESTRUCTIVE RAIDS BY SOVIET AIR FORCES THOUGH GERMANS CLAIM LUFTWAFFE IS SUPERIOR (By Telegraph.—Press Association. —Copyright.) (Received This Day, 11.30 a.m.) » LONDON, June 2’. A big’ German tank thrust in the central sector, where the German armies appear to have struck deepest into Russian territory, has been heavily defeated, according to a Russian communique. The Moscow radio says: “It is officially announced that a heavy defeat was inflicted on the Germans last night in the Siauliai, Vilna and Baranowice area. Our troops then withdrew to new positions, where they are regrouping for a new battle. A Soviet Information Bureau communique states that a battle was continued last night in the direction of Rawaruska and also in the region of Suleni, on the east bank of the Prutli, twelve miles northward of Jassy. Enemy planes repeatedly bombed Borisov, Bobruisk and Mogilov on the night of June 26. The Russian Air Force carried out innumerable attacks on enemy tank columns in the direction of Vilna, Brody and Baranowice. The bombing of military objectives in Bucharest, Ploesti and Constanza caused great damage. A German communique states: “The first five days’ operations proved that the Soviet Army had prepared to attack Central Europe. Our units found concentrations of Russian offensive troops on the frontier line westwards of Lwow (Lemberg) and Bialystok. These troops were exposed to encirclement and therefore were incapable of purely defensive operations. Our troops were victorious on all fronts and have achieved great decisions, details of which are being announced soon.’’ A Berlin spokesman claimed that the Luftwaffe had gained aerial supremacy on the entire Eastern front.