STILL CONFUSED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 July 1941, Page 5

STILL CONFUSED

SITUATION ON FIGHTING FRONTS ON ACCOUNT OF NATURE OF OPERATIONS. RUSSIANS RESISTING STUBBORNLY. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10 a.m.) RUGBY, July 3. No further authoritative news of the Russian-German fighting has reached London since the issue, early this morning, of a Russian High Command communique. The picture still remains confused, largely- owing to the nature of the fighting, in which large pockets of troops appear still to be fighting behind enemy advanced forces. In the central (Minsk) sector the German drive appears still to be continuing, and it is here that German claims, regarding Russian losses, both of men and material, are the greatest. The result of the battle in this area would appear to depend on the ability of the German infantry to re-establish contact with German panzer divisions which have broken through the Russian defences and which the Russians are endeavouring to isolate from their supplies, communications and infantry support. No details have reached London which would indicate that any decisive action in this respect has yet: been achieved. In the southern sector, the Russians are showing an extremely stubborn resistance to German pressure, as indeed they are doing on all fronts so far. However, little progress has been made towards the CentraL Ukraine. '

It is apparent that the powerful German thrust, the probable objective of which is Leningrad and which has been working up impetus for the past two days, is now approaching a climax. All reports reaching London indicate the extraordinary bravery and stubbornness with which the Russian troops are resisting the German advance. The Red Air Force is clearly also fighting with great courage and not a little success.

SOVIET COMMUNIQUE NAZIS FAIL. TO CROSS BERESINA. ENEMY TANKS HALTED IN LUCK AREA. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.40 a.m.) RUGBY, July 3. A Moscow communique this afternoon states: “There have been fierce battles between the Soviet Army and mechanised enemy forces, in the direction of Borisov and the sector of Zbaraz-Tarnopol. Repeated enemy attempts to cross the Beresina River were checked everywhere. There has been fierce fighting in the direction of Luck, as a result of which the Soviet forces halted the march of a strong enemy tank column which attempted to break southward towards Tarnopol. The Soviet Army fought throughout the night and stemmed the advance of the enemy. Fighting continues." HITLER CANNOT WIN DECLARATION BY RUSSIAN OFFICIAL. LONDON, July 2. “Hiller may win a hundred battles, but he will never win the war,” declared Mr Lozovsky, the Russian Assistant Commissar of Foreign Affairs. “The abandonment of this or that city owing to strategic considerations is unimportant while the main forces of our army are intact. We can mobilise another 10 million men if necessary.”

ARREST ORDERED FRENCH RESIDENTS IN MOSCOW. REPRISAL.FOR VICHY ACTION. (Bv Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright' LONDON, July 3. The Vichy correspondent of the British United Press says that the Soviet Union has ordered the arrest of all French residents in Moscow in retaliation for the arrest of more than 10.000 Soviet citizens in France.