SERIOUS FOR RUSSIA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 July 1941, Page 6

SERIOUS FOR RUSSIA

POSITION FRONT

Current, Opinion in London

MAIN GERMAN THRUST DEVELOPING VAIN SOVIET EFFORTS TO BREAK THROUGH REPORTED BY NAZIS (By Telegraph—Press Association.—Copyright.) (Received This Day, 11.20 a.m.) LOX DOX, July 1. It is considered that a critical stage in the German attack on Russia is now being reached. The main German thiust is developing on the northern front, and the latest news indicates that the position is serious for Russia. Today’s German communique says: “We have reached the River Dvina on a wide front, between Riga and Dvinsk, and crossed at various points. We have reached the Beresmk River. Between the Carpathians and the Pripet marshes, formations of German and Slovak troops are pressing forward in pursuit of the defeated enemy on both sides of Lwow (Lemberg). “The Soviet armies which are encircled between Bialystok and Minsk desperately and vainly attempted throughout the day to break through, with exceptionally severe losses. Twelve sorties carried out with heavy tanks collapsed. We repulsed bitter counter-attacks on the Dvina. “The Luftwaffe intervened most effectively, bombing enemy columns retreating east of Lwow.’’ The Berlin News Agency claims that Luck has been captured. The Berlin radio stated that the Russians are retreating everywhere. Dive-bombers heavily attacked the roads on which the enemy is falling back to Russia proper, suffering huge losses. The Stockholm correspondent of the Columbia Broadcasting Company reported that the Germans have captured Riga. It says the Riga radio broadcast a German proclamation. It is officially announced in Helsinki that the Russians in the past few days have dropped paratroops, who have been rendered harmless.

PRESSURE ON FRANCE

TO DECIARE WAR AGAINST RUSSIA FLEET UNITS IN NORTH AFRICA. IN AN ADVANCED STATE OF PREPAREDNESS. (Received This Day, Noon.) LONDON, July 1. Neutral diplomats in Lisbon say Germany is trying to induce France to declare war on Russia. Nazis are helping to prepare French warships in African ports. A “Daily Telegraph” correspondent who has arrived in Lisbon from North Africa, says French fleet units in North Africa are in an advanced state of

preparedness. The battleship Jean Bart has been almost completed. Guns have been installed in the Jean Bart and the Germans have permitted shells to be sent from France to it and the Dunkerque. Repairs to the Dunkerque, which was damaged by . the British at Oran a year ago, are virtually complete. At least thirteen French submarines are in Casablanca Harbour. The Vichy Government announced today that it would not object to the formation of corps of volunteers to fight against Russia. It is reported from Paris that several thousand volunteers are already forming units. The German News Agency announced that Hitler has appointed General Rommel general officer commanding armoured units. The Swiss radio stated that the Bulgarian High Command announced the mining of Bulgarian territorial waters in the Black Sea.