Evening star., 1941-07-09
Ponzer Units Strike
New Points, Seeking
Soviet Soft Spots
Hy the Associated Press.

MoSCOW, July S.-ln he REQ
Army reported today it had
routed German troops and
wiped out two motorized regi-
ments in northern White Russia
and stalled NaZi drives at most
points on the huge battlefront
1t acknowledged however, that
German panZer spearheadS were
striking at new points in an attempt
to find soft spots. Large enemy tank
motorized units" attempted to break
through in new fighting at Sebezh,
near the Latvian frontier" the COM
munique said adding: Fighting
is in progress
Centers of fighting. in which the
Soviet troops were supported by
Red air feet bombing attacks. were
listed as Polotsk in the northern
tip of White Russia; Lepel 40 miles
south, and Novorgrad Volynski in
the Sun-scorched Western Ukraine.
Fierce Fight in Polotsk Area.
In the Polotsk area, the Moscow
war bulletin said, fierce fighting con-
tinued around Borkovichi and Pulma
with Soviet counterattacks inflicting
heavy losses on the Germans.
In the Lepel direction" the COM
munique added. our troops routed
the enemy, wiping out two motorized
regiments and destroying four heavy
batteries and great number OF
anti-tank weapons The enemy left
hundreds killed on the field and
retreated to the west"
Incessant fighting continued IN
the Western Ukraine. the Russians
declared. They said strong German
tank units and motorized troops had
been unable to break through the
Red Army defense in this or other
sectors.
To the north. where a Nazi drive
through the Baltic states toward
Ieningrad was reported begged
down, the Germans were under
heavy artillery fire, the Moscow
communique said.
102 German Planes Claimed.
It declared the Red air feet shot
down 102 German warplanes yes
terday and downed So more in fights
In the vicinity of Lepel, Borisov and
Bobruisk. along the central front
last night.
Heavy Russian offensives were re-
ported to have forced a German
Rumanian retreat at the southern
flank of the far-fung eastern battle
line and the Red Army declared
the German drive had begged down
along the rest of the front.
In New York National Broad
casting Co. reported it had heard
the Moscow radio announce in
RusSlan-language broadcast that
the Russian air force has COM
pletely destroyed" oil centers in
Rumania, especially Ploesti, and
that the Rumanian Black Sea
port of Constanta has ceased to
exist as a result of Russian air
raids)
Russian counterattackS supported
by artillery, tanks and bombers were
said to have put the Nazis on the
defensive in their thrust past Ostrov
toward Leningrad and along the
Dvina River in Northern White
Russia.
The Moscow communique said a
stiff defense had stopped other Ger
man drives into the Western
Ukraine and Far Northern Karelia.
Reports on Bessarabia.
OF the BesSarabian front at the
eouth of the battle line the war bull
letin reported:
I'm the vicinity of Balti our troops
made a number Of counterattacks
on Rumanian and German troops as
the result of which the enemy was
driven back in disorder beyond the
River Prut."
dispatches from Budapest last
night said the Hungarian Army,
operating alongside German and
Rumanian troops, crossed the
Seret River line which Austro-
Hungarian troops were unable to
break during the World War until
after the Bolshevist Revolution in
1918. The river runs from Sov-
ietized Southeastern Poland east
of LWoW into the Dnestr north of
Bessarabian CernautiD
In the hot, dry fields of the West
ern Ukraine the Russians were re-
ported repulsing strong attacks by
tank-led German troops near Novo-
grad Volynski, where a battle has
ragged for almost a week.
The Red Army declared that in
Northern White Russia fierce fight
ing continues with enemy forces
which are trying to 'intrench them
selves on the northern banks of the
Western Dvina in the vicinity of
Borkovichi," 20 miles northwest of
Polotsk.
A hundred miles farther north
German forces which drove through
the Baltic States toward Leningrad
were reported suffering heavy losses
under shelling, bombing and Red
Army counterattackS in tine vicinity
of Ostrov, scene of another major
battle.
Fights on Finnish Frontier.
Soviet troops were engaged in
other fierce fights with columns
thrusting across the Finnish frontier
IN the far north toward Murmansk,
kandalakSha and Ukhta, the COM
nunique said.
1t reported, too, that two COM
panies which attacked the Soviet
leased Hango Peninsula military
base off Southwestern Finland were
snnihiliated by artillery and mortar
fire.
Somewhere in the north, Soviet
naval forces were reported to have
landed troops in support of Red
Army operations. Without speci-
flying the location of the landing,
the Moscow communique said only:
Vessels of the northern fleet,
with air force cooperation, made
a successful landing for co-opera-
ton with the Red arms
The Red Air Fleet was credited