RETREAT LIKELY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 February 1942, Page 3

RETREAT LIKELY

FROM LENINGRAD FRONT GERMAN PREPARATIONS. PROSPECTS OF WITHDRAW ALTO ESTONIA. LONDON, February 6. The Germans expect that the Leningrad front will soon emerge prominently into the news, and hint that an important rearrangement of the opposing forces can be expected, says the Stockholm correspondent of “The Times." quoting Berlin military authorities. News from independent sources in Berlin indicates that preparations have been made for a withdrawal of the German forces following the recent Russian advance into the frozen Kholm Marshes. Any considerable retirement would imply that the Germans had decided to raise the siege of Leningrad and retire to Estonia in order to enable their energies to be concentrated for a spring offensive into the Caucasus. Support for the belief that the Germans are contemplating a withdrawal is afforded by the evacuation of the civilian population from the region east of Lake Peipus, where peasants were encouraged to settle after the autumn fighting, when the > region appeared to be permanently in ; German hands. Since the middle of January hundreds of peasants have been transferred to Estonia. RUSSIAN OIL INDUSTRY’S RECORD YEAR. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, February 7. Seven oil-producing and refining trusts, as well as 1313 oil workers, have been decorated for excellent achievements, according to a Moscow message. The awards follow an announcement by the Commissar for the Oil Industry that 1941 was a record year. CONTINUED SUCCESS SOVIET OFFICIAL REPORT. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.15 a.m.) RUGBY, February 8. A Russian communique states: “Our troops yesterday continued their offensive operations and occupied several localities. In a number of sectors the enemy launched counter-attacks which were repulsed with losses to the enemy. “Twenty-one German planes were destroyed on February 6, for the loss of seven Russian. On February 5, 46 German planes were destroyed.”