FOR POSSESSION OF LENINGRAD

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 September 1941, Page 6

FOR POSSESSION OF LENINGRAD

Millions at Work Strengthening City Defences ENEMY PUSHED BACK BY COUNTER-ATTACKS ASSURANCE OF DEFENCE TO THE LAST (Received This Day, 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, September 3. Boasts by the German radio and Press that Leningrad’s outer defences have been broken, and that the final assault has begun, are regarded as premature, but it is not doubted that Leningrad stands on the eve of the greatest battle foi a city in history. Marshal Voroshilov has taken over personal command of the operations around Leningrad. He issued an order of the day calling on everyone to defend the city. A telephone message to the “Red Star,’’ from Marshal Voroshilov’s headquarters, says a Russian counter-attack pushed back the Germans three miles and that the advance is continuing. “The Red Star’’reports that the plan of battle vzas worked cut during the night of September 1. An artillery barrage was begun at dawn, after which battalion after battalion of Russians crossed to the forest area. The British United Press Moscow correspondent reports that a Russian attack supported by tanks reached a river (presumably the Neva) on the night of September 2 and crossed the river on the morning* of September 3. The defendeis of Leningrad are confident that the city ■will be saved from the fate of Warsaw and Rotterdam. More than 3| million civilians and million soldiers are making the city an ever stronger fortress. Parks, gardens and streets are now trench-lined. Troops and munition lorries are seen everywhere, while Soviet fighter planes are constantly on patrol. Ten weeks of war have shown that the Russians will not stop at any sacrifice. There is no reason, therefore, to doubt Moscow’s assertion that Leningrad will be defended to the last.