NAZI WEDGE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 August 1941, Page 5

NAZI WEDGE

DRIVEN TO THE GATES OF KIEV BUT TANKS SIGNALLY REPULSED. FLANKING ATTACKS FAIL. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) LONDON, August 8. The Stockholm correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” says the German claim to have driven a wedge to Kiev is correct, but the Russians signally repulsed German tanks which reached the gates of Kiev and which delivered six assaults against the city's immediate defences. Both of the subsequent flanking attacks at Byelaya-Tser-kov and Ikorost have been held up. Marshal Budenny still has huge armies intact, with large reserves ready to oppose any threat to Odessa. French diplomats who have just arrived at Stockholm from Moscow stated that 40 divisions of fresh Russian troops (about 600,000) with a surprising quantity of modern equipment are stationed between Smolensk and Moscow. Analysing the German reserves, the Soviet Government organ,. “Izvestia,” estimates that Germany’s total available manpower for military purposes is 7,000,000, including all men up to the age of 50. The men available between the ages of 18 and 40 number approximately 4,000,000. . It adds: “These figures explain why Hitler has been trying to achieve victory with a lightning war. Therefore, in the first few weeks of the campaign he sent his best soldiers and specialists to their death, and as a result of this the quality is gradually deteriorating. Insufficient manpower, rather than the economic difficulty due to the blockade, constitutes Hitler’s gravest danger, and, indeed, it spells his doom.” The Moscow radio announced that the Germans have lost 1,500,000 men killed, wounded and taken prisoner against Russia’s 600,000 casualties, and also 6000 tanks against Russia’s 5000, and 6000 aircraft compared with Russia’s 4000.