Evening star., 1941-07-19
Reeopture Of Two
Towns Is Claimed
By Soviet Chiefs
BY the Associated Press.

reported today the recapture of
two cities identified only as "SH"
and T."
Red Star, the Soviet Army's news
paper. said in dispatch from the
front that the original band num-
bered only 10 men, but that others
were quickly recruited and these
broke up an armored German COL
umn, capturing three whippet tanks
and a number of armored cars and
bicycles as well as considerable mu-
nitions.
Peoples Army Formed.
While guerrilla activities were re-
ported. the Russians were massing
Peoples Army. which Joseph
Stain called into being from the
rank and file of Soviet citizens, be-
hind the front.
"A dispatch from Istanbul.
Turkey, quoting an Axis diplomat
recently arrived from the Soviet
capital, declared Russian army
100000 strong is waiting behind
Moscow, presumably to be thrown
forward at the critical moment)
Izvestia, government newspaper,
declared that time was being gained
for the formation of this army by
new digging in tactics of the Rus
sian soldiers.
These slowing tactics also were de-
signed to permit the guerrilla armies
roaming behind German lines to get
in their maximum blows, the news
paper indicated.
Bitter Battle Fought.
Red Star described the guerrilla
bands as "partisanS," and said after
the attack on the armored column
they turned against the bulk Of the
Reichswehr troops, surrounding
the city of "SH."
A bitter battle followed during
which the German garrison was
destroyed. The PARTISAN" then
marched into the city where the
population welcomed them with
food and clothing.
Red Star said that in the Latvia
area there were 1000 of these par
tissns engaged in attacking isolated
German units and disrupting COM
munications, and that Russian cav
airy also was operating, in one in
stance capturing German officers
and IS motorcycles and two bat
teries.
Part of the personnel of the United
States Embassy meanwhile has
moved to Kazan, $50 miles from
Moscow.
Stubborn Night Fighting.
All through the night, a Soviet
communique said, the Red Army
fought stubbornly in the Polotsk-
Newell, Smolensk and Bobruisk areas.
The roar of cannon, planes and
tanks and the cries of battle came
from the 140-mile deep salient the
Nazi mechanical forces and speed
infantry have driven to Smolensk.
230 miles southwest of Moscow, and
the areas on its flanks
Omitted from the Soviet COM
munique was mention of the opera
tions before Leningrad and Kiev to
the north and south. The Soviet
likewise was silent concerning Bes-
sarabia.
The Soviet forces admittedly were
suffering and inflicting very heavy
casualties in the furious fighting
along the broad, marshy valleys of
the Dneiper and Dvina River valleys
to the west and northwest of Mos
COW.
A new area of heavy engagements
developed yesterday about Newell, on
the northern flank of the Smolensk
wedge where the Germans evidently
were trying to gain elbow room. The
Soviet command said that during
the night similar fighting developed
in the Bobruisk area on the southern
side of the wedge.
Seventy-one German planes were
declared to have been destroyed by
Soviet aviation the last three DAYS.
Great Battles Yesterday.
The communique said great bat
ties were fought throughout yester-
day on the northern flank in the
Pskov-Porkhov area $50 miles from
Leningrad and the Smolensk sector,