VAGUE CLAIMS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 August 1941, Page 6

VAGUE CLAIMS

MADE BY NAZI HIGH COMMAND SURVEY OF WAR AGAINST RUSSIA. “TOUGHEST ENEMY YET MET.” (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) (Received This Day, 11.40 a.m.) LONDON, August 6. The German High Command has issued a series of four special communiques describing the fighting since the outbreak of the RussianGerman war, with a preface. This states: “It is apparent from numerous reports that the Soviet High Command no longer possesses a reliable picture of the situation on its own front. Therefore we are sticking to the principle of unconditional truth. The greatest reticence is imposed on German reporting, since it is undesirable to give our opponent valuable clues. The German people’s justifiable desire for daily information, of the course of operations has had to wait. The Fatherland had even to tolerate the fact that wrong conceptions arose and that enemy countries disseminated misleading rumours. The time has now come to view afresh the operations and to cast light on the course and results of the tremendous struggle which began with the break through of the Stalin Line. “Because of the ground conditions and our own objectives, it so happened that this break through occurred at three points —south of the Pripet Marshes, south of Lake Peipus and in the direction of Smolensk.

“On the northern sector, after the defeat of the Soviet army on the River Dvina and the freeing of Latvia, the German army assaulted and broke through strong positions south of Lake Peipus. Ostrov, Prokhov and Polotsk fell after a short fight, opening the way for an attack on Leningrad. The left wing of our forces penetrated to Narva and blocked the land-bridge between Lake Peipus and the Gulf of

Finland. The Estonian army has thrown back the enemy, but operations have not yet been concluded. “In the southern sector, the Germans have pushed an advanced patrol to the gates of Kiev, enabling them to turn southwards, leading to a battle of encirclement, which is progressing. A combined German-Rumanian army has crossed the central Dniester and proceeded north-easterly to join the forces from the north. In the central sector, the great Smolensk battles have now victoriously concluded. The extent and stubborness of the fighting here has given these operations a character unique in history. Our successes far exceed our most optimistic expectations. The German Army *n"cl Air Force have shown almost superhuman bravery and endurance in facing the toughest enemy they have yet met. Conscious of its superiority and certain of victory, the German Army is ready for the next stage and prepared to bring the war to a victorious conclusion.”

A communique claims that since the outbreak of war 895,000 Russians have been taken prisoner and 13,145 armoured fighting vehicles, 10,388 guns, and 9.082 planes captured or destroyed. The Russian losses in killed and wounded, it is claimed, far exceed the number of prisoners.