Evening star., 1941-07-30
Russians Attack
Near Smo|ensk,
NazisConcede
Attempts to Rescue
Trapped Force Held
Futile and Costly
BY the Associated Press.

BERLIN, July 30.-Red Army
forces trying to rescue trapped
Russian troops east of Smolensk
were conceded by the high COM
mand today to have taken the
initiative, but it called their ef-
fort futile and costly.
The war bulletin said the Rus
sian counteroffensive on that front,
where the Germans have plunged
a salient deep. into the defenses
of Moscow took the form of relief
attacks" and other German sources
reported Nazi advance units still
within about l30 miles of the Soviet
capital in deep battle area stretch
ing from Mogilev. southwest Of Smo-
lensk, to the region of Vyazma, 100
miles to the east.
tReuters. British news agency,
quoted the German radio as say
ing today that Nazi planes had
again raided Moscow during the
night)
Operations Continue"
Except for the one front men
toned specifically. the communique
again summarized the whole bloody
battle on the eastern front with the
statement that operations con-
tinued according to plan"
Tens of thousands of German road
builders under DR.. Fritz Todt. Ger
many's creator of fortified lines and
elaborate highway systems. were said
to have been put to work east of
Minsk preparing the Smolensk-
Moscow road for the terrific traffic
Germans say it will surely carry
when an assault begins directly on
Moscow.
The latest German tabulation of
Russian plane losses was 9.120.
Farther north, on the line of ap-
proach to Leningrad. RuSsia's sec
ond largest city, informed Germans
said two Russian divisions had been
wiped out west of Lake Peipus, in
Estonia.
Retreat Blocked OFF.
These sources declared the Rus
slams had been blocked off from
retreat by a German thrust across
Estonia from Parnu and Viljandi in
the southeast to the northwest
shores of Lake Peipus. They re-
ported hard, close e-quarter fighting
with grenades and automatic pis-
tolls.
Russian pressure in the Smolensk
sector apparently came from the
Red Army line by troops attempting
to storm through to the encircled
forces, not alone from the sur
rounded troops trying to burst out
Of the German ring.
Renewed attempts by the oppo-
nent to liberate his forces encircled
east of Smolensk by means Of relief
attacks have been repulsed," the
commupique said.
The enemy here has suffered
severe losses.
"On other parts Of the eastern
front, operations continued accord
ing to plan"
Tanks Clear Countryside.
Advance German tank units east
of Smolensk cleared the surround
ing countryside of Russian troops
last night after a Nazi column had
fought its way forward with addi-
tional supplies of fuel, the German
news agency D.N.B. said.
The supply column was attacked
violently by Soviet infantry and
tanks before reaching its goal, but
beat of all assaults, the agency
declared.
The contingent delivered its
precious freight" D.NB. said, land
the same night German tanks
combed the entire sector and cleared
it of Bolsheviks."
Informed sources said Soviet Rus
sia lost so aircraft in dog fights and
SO on the ground in "A hours up TO
this morning.
Nazi dive bombers yesterday
wiped out a Russian airdrome near
the far northern port of Murmansk,
d. N. B. reported.
1t declared four Axis bombers and
two fighters were shot down when
r. A. F. fighters drove of German
air raiders attacking British ship
ping off the Libyan coast yesterday
Two British planes were acknowl-
edged to be missing