STANDING FIRM

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 September 1941, Page 5

STANDING FIRM

NO SIGN OF THE DEFENCE WEAKENING LENINGRAD FORCES HITTING BACK. COMMUNICATIONS STILL OPEN. LONDON, September 12. In spite of the terrific, non-stop aii offensive, there are no signs of any weakening of Leningrad’s defences. Leningrad retains railway contact with the rest of Russia, while there is still no confirmation that Schlusselburg has fallen. A large proportion of Marshal Voroshilov’s forces have not yet been obliged to fall back to the immediate defences of Leningrad. On the contrary, they are effectively counterattacking at several points. Considerable significance is attached to the renewal of fighting in the direction of Luki, which will possibly develop into a Russian offensive against the German communications between Pskov and Leningrad. Moscow radio stated that guerillas hold many villages behind the German lines in the Smolensk region. The radio aso says that Germany has demanded that the Rumanian Government takes drastic steps to ensure the efficiency of the Rumanian soldiers, some of whom are claimed to

be killing their German and Rumanian officers and deserting. The “Daily Telegraph’s” Stockholm correspondent says that Austrian troops, reinforced by a division from the north of Norway, are carrying out the new offensive against Murmansk, and a battle is raging along the river Lista, 15 miles inside the Russian frontier. . This correspondent says that m the southern Ukraine the Germans have gained important foothold on the east bank of the Dnieper after crossing midway between Zaporozhe and the Black Sea.