POWERFUL DRIVE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 September 1941, Page 5

POWERFUL DRIVE

AGAINST THE EASTERN I UKRAINE DEFENDERS OF LENINGRAD UNSHAKEN. HOUSE BY HOUSE DEFENCE IF NECESSARY. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, September 17. Field-Marshal ■ von Rundstedt has launched a powerful offensive against the eastern Ukraine with the biggest armies the Germans have yet used on this front, reports the Stockholm correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph.” The main attacks are apparently de- . veloping from bases in the Dnieper Kbend north-westward and south-west-award of Dnepropetrovsk. Marshal Budenny’s forces, strongly reinforced from the Caucasus, are reported to be desperately resisting the offensive. Simultaneously the Germans claim to have broken Leningrad’s second ring of defences at a number of points, adding, “Voroshilov’s last hope of saving the city is shattered.” Berlin reported an advance to Detskoe Sela (formerly Tsarskoe Sela, the residence of the Tsar, 15 miles south of Leningrad). These claims have not been confirmed from other sources. It was learned yesterday that the Russians, in a bit-terly-contested counter-attack in the Leningrad sector, crossed a river and regained important positions near the city. The correspondent of the Moscow “Pravda” describes the fierce determination with which Marshal Voroshilov’s soldiers have hurled themselves against the enemy. He declares that Leningrad is preparing to defend itself, if need be, house by house. Thousands of its citizens are working day and night in the cold and rain digging trenches outside the city. Thousands of other citizens are swelling the ranks of volunteers in the war industries; work goes on continuously in the factories, and the output has been ivastly increased in recent days. The correspondent adds: “If anyone wants to see the heart of Leningrad beating, he should visit these war industries.” Meanwhile the Germans have made no progress in their effort to dominate the sea' approaches to the city. The latest, reports show that the Russian fleet still controls the Gulf of Finland. The Germans yesterday claimed to have smashed three Russian armies to the south of Lake Ilmen during a week-long battle, as a result o'f which, it was declared, a new German thrust is in progress. Moscow reported an important Russian gain in a counter-attack from Odessa. A Russian communique last night stated: “In the coures of September 16 our troops fought the enemy along the whole front. Our air force operated against enemy panzer troops, infantry and artillery and attacked the enemy air force on aerodromes , and. bombed pontoon bridges. On Sep- \ tember 14, 29 German planes were detroyed in air combats and on the ground. We lost 18. NAZI TRANSPORTS DESTROYED. “It is now known that warships of our northern fleet on September 15 destroyed three large enemy transports, not two as previously reported.” The latest Moscow communique states: “Our coastal artillery destroyed. four German transports, totalling 28,00 tons, which were loaded with troops, tanks and other equipment during an attempted landing, on Osel Island. Also one enemy destroyer and 10 launches were sunk and an enemy plane was brought down. “The enemy attempted r. second landing, in which air-borne troops participated. In fierce fighting which lasted for two days, enemy landing parties, both air and naval were wiped out and the remainder withdrew.” A. supplementary communique says: “Cur troops recaptured the island of Rahmasaari on Lake Ladoga, killing about 800 Finns and sinking four enemy torpedo-boats and two motor tor-pedo-boats.” It is reported in Stockholm that the Germans have captured Vorm Island (a small Estonian Island at the entrance to the Gulf of Finland) also that the Finns have broken the Russian resistance in Olonets Province (north-west of Lake Ladoga).