NAZIS CHECKED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 July 1941, Page 5

NAZIS CHECKED

BUT DETERMINED BLOWS IN PROSPECT ACCORDING TO CORRESPONDENT IN SWEDEN. CLAIMS. ON EITHER SIDE. (By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright) LONDON, July 11. The Stockholm representative of “The Times” says that the Soviet successes, though they are highly important, should not give an impression that the Red Army is already beating the Germans militarily. The Germans have merely been checked. The number of German wounded is beyond what reasonbaly might be expected, but the most determined German blows are still ahead. A communique issued last night from Herr Hitler’s headquarters claims that an end at last has been made to “the greatest battle of encirclement in the world’s history” in the Bialystok area. A total of 300,000 prisoners and 3000 armoured fighting vehicles was captured.

This refers to the long-promised disposal of the two Russian armies which were said to have been left behind west of Minsk when the spearhead of the German advance thrust toward Moscow.

Reports reaching Stockholm last night declared that the fighting toward Lake Ladoga and the blood-steeped Karelian Isthmus was gathering intensity. The Germans claim to have made a six-mile advance at one point, and say that they have captured a large

part of the Salla region in the Finnish waist and are advancing 40 miles from their base. It is unofficially staled that the Russians are attempting to envelope the invaders in the Salla area in a large “fire pincers” by igniting extensive forests. The northernmost German and rmnish troops are still struggling in the mountains and marshes toward Murmansk without claiming fresh progress. It is officially announced in Moscow that a German' infantry division which was attempting to break through Russian lines at an unspecified place was cut off and annihilated. More than 3500 German soldiers were killed and 2400 captured, with also a great deal of material, including 28 guns, 30 armoured cars, 54 motor-cycles and many machine-guns and tommy-guns.