BUDENNY’S ARMY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 August 1941, Page 5

BUDENNY’S ARMY

REGROUPED IN UKRAINE HEAVILY REINFORCED. BIG GERMAN TANKER SUNK IN BALTIC. LONDON, August 14. A Moscow communique last night stated: "Fighting continued today in the directions of Kakisalmi. Staraya Russa, Smolensk and Byelaya-Tser-kov.” (Staraya Russa, the only town newly-mentioned, is south of Lake Ilmen and 45 miles from Soltsi, referred to in previous communiques). This morning’s Russian communique reports that nothing of importance occurred on the battlefronts last night. The “Daily Telegraph’s” special correspondent in Stockholm says that Marshal Budenny has succeeded in avoiding encirclement by the German thrust into the Ukraine while at the same time leaving behind a force approaching 100,000 men to defend the isolated port of Odessa. His main armies, which have been reinforced by 10 crack Soviet divisions hitherto held in reserve, now stand regrouped and solidly and orderly eastward of Uman on the east bank of the River Bug, where they are giving increasing resistance to the German southern drive. The German casualties in the last few days in the fighting round Uman, the correspondent adds, are reported Jo exceed ; 10,000. The Berlin military spokesman claimed that 1,000.000 Russians so far have been taken prisoner on the Russian front, and the bulk of them arc being classified for work, chiefly as farm labourers. He added that it is expected that the Russian defenders of Odessa will fight bitterly to the finish against the Germans, who are advancing on the city from three sides. Yesterday's German communique claimed that infantry and mobile troops pursued the enemy retreating to the Black Sea harbours, inflicting great losses on the Soviet rearguard, Moscow announced last night: “Our submarines sank a 15,000-ton German tanker in the Baltic Sea.” A communique today says: “In the last few days warships and aeroplanes of the Baltic Fleet sank four German torpedo-boats and also several transports carrying a large German infantry unit, guns, tanks, aircraft, and other equipment.”