Evening star., 1941-07-26
Reds Pursued
lin Ukraine,
NazisC|ainn
German Drives Stalled
In Two Sectors,
Russians Soy
By the Associated Press.

DN tilr f1ShuC4dteu FItSS.
BERLIN. July 26.-Soviet rear
guard resistance in the Ukraine
has been broken and AXIS troops
are continuing to pursue the re-
treating Russians, Adolf Hitlers
headquarters said today.
In Carpatho- Urkaine district
south and southwest of Korosmezo
an attack by strong Soviet units
freshly thrown into battle was
halted by Germans with heavy
losses to the Russians, a communi-
que said.
The high command reported an
engagement of unusual intensity
southwest of wanna. which lies 90
miles northeast of Smolensk on the
road to Moscow. The report did not
state the exact place of the battle.
| however. or how far it was from
| wanna, so it was impossible to tell
on the basis of information given
whether there was any appreciable
| German advance toward MOSCOW
The Germans said fresh Russian
troops were repulsed in the action
The high command had reported
that the Nazi forces had gone over
and beyond Smolensk 10 DAYS ago.
Daylight Raid on Moscow.
On the central front Nazi planes
were credited with carrying out
daylight raid against Moscow and
scoring direct hits on railway IA
cilities.
keyed for reports of favorable de-
velopments on the eastern front. ex-
perienced their first air raid in Al
most two months during the night
but the high command said only
individual planes crossed over the
city.
The bloody struggle with Soviet
Russia has reached q stage where
decisions of the greatest Importance
are to be expected, DlenSt aus
Deutschland. commentary close to
the German foreign Office, hinte0
in reviewing the eastern military
situation. Dienst left no doubt
/
tilities would continue for an in
definite time.
A gigantic battle with the Rus
slams will reach a decisive position
after current opera tions along the
Stain Line are completed, the COM
mentary said.
Battle Inside Stain Line.
:, -
ing on inside the Stain Line. the
commentary stated. but 1t will be
some days yet before complete re-
suits Of the struggle can be reported
There is so much confusi11 among
re6eatlng Soviet units, especially
along the southern sector Of the
front, that Russian commanders sp-
parently have lost all control Of their
forces, D.NB. official news agency,
said.
Prisoners taken by the Germans
have stated that Soviet political
commiSsars ordered retresting
masses in the southern sector To
halt and blow up the only bridge
, in the region the agency declared.
. Soviet artillery on the far bank
of the river Spsnned by the bridge
put down a barrage intended for the
, Germans. but the shells fell into
, Russian ranks. killing hundreds Of
) soldiers, ii reported.
Fighting Is Vicious.
German soldier-reporters told Of
vicious hand-to-hand fighting in the
Stain Line.
One reporter described difficulties
in storming certain Russian fortifi-
cations
Suited to the wooded. hilly land
and cleverly camoufiaged with cut
stalks of grain, trenches and ma
chine-gun nests dotted the terrain.
he said. One position was con-
nected with the other.
"A furious fire broke loose against
the storming Germans. The bat
talon broke through the wood, but
only after bloody fighting, The
Soviets resisted tenaciously. Stub
bornly they stuck to their posts
stubborn unto death"