Evening star., 1941-09-21
Greatest Victory Of
War in Russiu Is
Claimed by Nozis
n the Associated Press.

throWers, dive bomberS, tank!
and infantry, working in per.
feet unison, have completed the
mop-up of Kiev in a blitzkriee
operation, German dispatches
reported today, while Naz
armies rushed forward to carve
out the heart of European
Russia's industrial system, the
rich DonetS basin.
The Germans marked up thei,
greatest victory to date in theil
9l-day war in the east, authoritative
sources disclosed that Adolf Hitler!
five-point purpose in invading the
Soviet on June % included annihila.
ton or capture of the last trained
Russian soldier and paralyzation Of
Russia's centralized government.
The Dnieper for all practical mil
itary purposes is now a German
river, according to the Germans
who declared the thin band thrust
far east to encircle Kiev had now
been strengthened.
The breaking of resistance in Kiev
was regarded as complete, although
1t was admitted a few snipers and
isolated strongholds may have beer
overlooked in the first mop up.
Many Prisoners.
A steady stream of prisoners Is
being produced by the encirclemeni
operations east of Kiev, where one
large town, 10 trains and other ma
terial were reported taken despite
wild Russian resistance and attempts
to break out.
The Germans claimed their troops
now occupied the eastern portion
of Oesel Island, "Leningrad natural
Baltic fortress"
Front line dispatches pictured the
operation against Kiev as a perfect
blitz, with the elements of surprise
terrific military power applied all in
one place. and localized campaign
all fitting neatly into full-scale
operation.
These dispatches declared the
German infantry for weeks had been
waiting within the outer ring of
classmates protecting Kiev until large
encirclement drives were worked out
from the north and south.
In this respect, it was recalled
that German dispatches reported in
mid-July that the German armies
were at the gates of Kiev. Nothing
more was heard of this column,
however, until yesterday, when the
high command first reported the
entrance into the city.
Every Weapon Released.
When the hour struck for the
final attack, German reporters said.
every weapon in Germany's armory
was released at once. Dive bombers
thundered down on Notifications
and strong points.
Flame throwers crept forward
from house to house, shot their
fire into windows from which
snipers operated and scorched out
the defenders of gun turrets and
bunkers.
Shells screamed into dugouts and
trenches.
Waves of engineers rushed to
eliminate land mines and to bridge
or fatten tank traps.
Tanks charged along the streets,
and infantry we'll supplied with
grenades came close behind.
In surprisingly short time, the
war reporters said, crossings of the
small Weta and Irpen Rivers were
effected, and by II am. yesterday
the citadel had been reached from
the south. Ten minutes later Ger
mans black and red war flag flut-
tered from the tower.
Elaborate preparations for a
civilian defense speedily collapsed
and a concerted onslaught by mill
tarized units of the OGPU, Russian
secret police, was repulsed, these re-
ports said.
Flight of Officers Reported.
The Soviet officers fed, the high
command said. and the rest of the
garrison speedily offered to sur
render. MOSCOW reports said hand
to hand fighting still was going on
in the northern part of the city,
Reports still were far from COM
plete on the condition in which the
Germans found the city. 1t was
said, however, that the desperate
defenders lacked the time to carry
out the far-reaching demolitions
which they had prepared.
While the Germans were officially
declared to have completed an en-
circlement 125 miles behind Kiev,
trapping 100000 to 100000 Russian
troops, the progressing operations
were presumed to be aimed at Khar-
kov, vital communications center 80
miles east of Poltava. which already
has been occupied.
The Germans thus were nearing
the vital Donets Basin with its COM
plex of mines and mills upon which
a great part of Soviet industry is
based.
Laconic on Northern Fighting.
BY contrast with recent days when
all the German emphasis was upon
the progress of the siege Of Lenin-
grad, the Germans had practically
nothing to say today about that
northern sector.
The high command only reported
the capture of the islands of Muhu
and Vormsi CMoon and Worms
Islands,, which are stepping stones
from the mainland to the island of
Oesel.
Muhu and Oesel are linked by a
causeway, and the high command
said infantry advance over this
causeway four days ago had opened
the way to further operations. Air
and naval units aided in the capture
of Muhu and Vormsi, it was said.
D. N. B. reported tonight that "a
very heavy" air attack was carried
out yesterday against sLeningrad and
Soviet troops encirclA in the city's
defense zone.
A number of fires were started in
the city, and anti-aircraft positions,
supply centers and barracks were
hard hit, the dispatch said. The
(See RERJTN page A.101