The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-07-12
German Shock Troops Attack Main Red Army
tContlnued from Page l,

isnating the action only as on the northern sector of the eastern front.
 (The northern sector of the east. ern front would probably be in the Ostrov-P -PolOtsk region, where the Russians recently reported Ger. many had z1aassed large numbers of troops and where fighting has been particularly, intense. There are swamps and many smsll lakes and small rivers in the area, which lies inside pre.war Russian boundries just east Of the Latyiar-E Estonigan frontiers.)
 (The Russians at last report were holding strengthened" de. fense positions in this sector but admitted that the Germans had numerical superiogity)
 The news agency report said that German pioneers or work units sup- ported the infantry advance and oevrcame apparently 1nSupeTable" obstacles which the Russians had put in the path of their advance.
 The Russians on this front at- tempted to hold the German ad- vance by burning villages in "a wide circle and had also permitted roads and bridges to cave In through In. tentional neglect in order to present obstacles to an invader.
 Tn some cases, 1t was alleged, the Russians had poisoned springs.
 By employing great quantities Of men and materials, the German command ovegcame this area, the agency added.
 IEuEl Back Tanks
 The ofncial agency said that ID severe lighting the Germans had hurled back Soviet tanks and n. fantEy everywhere despite difncuites of the terrain, increased by down" pourS of rain.
 The German armies gre conttn- uing their advance, t was said.
 It was believed that the high com. rnand might issue detailed coE1a- rnunique tomorrow, at the end of the third week Of the Russo German war.
 Whether there would ks material for q triumphant ceremony, In which a series of tegse cosnmuilques would be read between fAnfares of martial music on the radio, was not known.
 The Morgen Post in . possibly slg- nificant dispatch. said today that the Russians were now engaged iza oF. ganiSing" new and heavy resistance" along the Etalin line.
 This was taken to indicate that the Germans had not yet "decisiveiy broken through" aS an informant put 1t, "Russia's last line of coherent defense"
 'The Moscow army is naturally large enough to postpone the deci- sion for a while" the Morgen Post said. "But the tremendous German victories at Bialystok and Minsk fur- nish sufficient evidence that all Rus sian attempts to prevent collapse are doomed to failure"
 Russian Losses Heavy
 The newspaper said Russian losses had been 50 heavy in the battles of Minsk and Biaiystok that the cas. ualties and lost material could not be replaced. Rusd an forces amnashed" in the area were the elite troops of the Russian armies, tt was said.
 A military spokesman asserted German operations were proceeding satisfactorily and were steadily gail- ing momentum. He said the high command chose It's words carefully in saying that operations were pro- ceeding according to plan, that they were progressing successfully and that the German troops were ad- vancing irresistibly.
 A radio commentator asserted that in the Bialystok- -AEinsk engagement Russia lost the equivalent of o5 tank hrlgades and 100 artillery regiments.
 Roosevelt AggTessOr
 Berlin, July l2-(UP)-Authorized Nazis today charged that President