Sept. 9.
With the Russian-German campaign entering into its twelfth week: the Germans claim ave invested Leningrad which they allege is now completely surrounded. Contrary earlier beliefs, they are reported to be pounding the city with bombs, -and with the Russian determination to defend it from street to street and from house to house it would seem that both sides are eyreed that the former capital of Russia must ultimately be destroyed." Some reports are. carried to the effect that the city will be reduced within two or three weeks. That appears to be nother example of Wishful thinking on the part of the enemy, for it has to be remember= ed that Odessa has been surrounded for some Weeks now. and that the Germans with their unwilling Rumanian allies have. made no headway whatever against that city. There ig every reason to believe that when the Germans succeed in reducing Leningrad, it ever they do, they will have paid a heavy price for their success, probably heavier than, anything they have pald up to the present.
Claims, which the German put: forward Jast week, to the effect that they had succeed ed in piercing the outer defences of Leningrad do not appear fo be correct, and the story that the capital is" under artillery "fire.
more significant than in the case of other towns which the Germans have had under fire for months past.. 'To be able to bombard itis one thing, to reduce it something entirely different. While there is the inevitable con-_ Aict between the reports of the two commands. and almost' as much reticence, it Is clear that though the Germans have' made some little progress in some. sectors. the counter-attneks of the Russians have sueceededwin the main in holding them, and that only small changes have taken place during the last few days, The main. German effort Seems to have been approximately in the centre of the line, where the Germans are attempting to drive a salient further towards Moscow in the neighbourhood of Roslavl and Vyazma. "This" Marshal" 'Timoshenko "is secking' to counter by attacks "towards Rogaciey "and Zhlobin' and "one slightly further northwards. striking at the flank of the salient which the Germans have created.
'Determined Russian counter-attacks further south in the vicinity of Gomel appear to have held the Germans up, and though the Germans have been making strenuous efforts to bring about the encirclement of Kiev they'
to be as far from completing that they were at the beginning of. last south of that city the Germans could succeed in crossing the Dnieper and force their way towards Kharkov the. situa~ lon at Kiev might become precarious indeed, but until the southern reaches of ihe Dnieper Ihave been crossed that development will of occur. "Further south the situation have become. stabilized, the Germans, Rumanians and Italians finding the Russian defenders quite able to, hold their own." Generally specking, while the Russian aunter-attacks have only'a local significance, the only effect they have on the position whole fs that of slowing up the German Sdvance and tending to render the front rather, more. static than' it has ever been Since the commencement of the invasion.
That 1s not to be taken as meaning that! the campaign will develop into something approaching the trench warfare of the last war. Doubtless the Russian command would Uke to bring that about, and it is reported {that Marshal Timoshenko at some parts of his front has been trying to force the Ger~ mans to resort to trenches. That General von Book hes managed to avoid up to the pre-Fent and the war of movement sti continues able in the early days of the havas ion," Where though not fo so great a depth a3 was no!
the' Muslang ave achieved success that they have denied that qui Hitler promised himself, and with ordinary Tuck sould be able to" maintain resistance Until the German armies are bogged down for the winter. If they manage to do. that {hey witl have a long breathing spell in which te prepare against resumption of the carapalgn {nthe spring by which time it is to. be expected that Great Britain and her Allies will have another rod in pickle for Hitler.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.