FIERCE FIGHTING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 September 1941, Page 6

FIERCE FIGHTING

CONFLICTING REPORTS ABOUT EASTERN FRONT BERLIN ADMITS ADVANCE SLOWED DOWN. MAINLY OWING TO BAD WEATHER. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 1.15 p.m.) LONDON. September 4. Although the positions reached by the Germans, in their push towards Leningrad, are still subject to the most conflicting reports, all despatches from the northern front agree that the fighting has reached unparalleled ferocity. The Germans are flinging in tremendous air and land forces but the defenders continue to stand firm. Bloody battles are proceeding at many points on the southern and western approaches to Leningrad and both sides are suffering terrific losses. M. Lozovsky declared that the Germans are still being held at the distant approaches but the latest despatches from Berlin state that the Germans have contacted Russian defences ten or twelve miles south-west of the city. “The Timos” correspondent on the German frontier says, while it is possible that small detachments have reached the outskirts of Leningrad, the main forces still apparently are no nearer than 30 .miles. M. Lozovsky said the German claims are a pure fantasy. Leningrad is not cut off and is maintaining communications with the rest of Russia. M. Lozovsky added that the battle between Novgorod and Leningrad continues unabated. The Germans have been forced to rush up reinforcements. Immense and bloody battles continue unceasingly.

Berlin admits that the German advance on Leningrad has slowed down, chiefly owing to continued bad weather. The Germans earlier claimed that their Iroops were near the southern shore of Lake Ladoga and that the fortifications of Leningrad had been virtually surrounded but it is now admitted that the stiff Russian resistance and repeated counter-attacks are making the German task unexpectedly difficult. Berlin today stated that German bombers broke the Moscow-Leningrad railway at sixteen points. According to M. Lozovsky numerous attempts to raid Leningrad all failed because the defences were too powerful.