Evening star., 1941-07-29
Russian Counter-Attacks Spread
To All Major Sectors Reds Say;
Toxic Demand on Thai Reported
German Offensive
Declared Breaking
Against Defenses
b the hssociated Press.

By the Associated Press.
MOSCOW, July 29.-Russiar
counterattacks against Adol.
Hitler's invading legions were
reported today to have spread t
all major sectors of the front II
one of the greatest battles of al
time. The Soviet atmosphere
was one of calm confidence.
Germans are still trying to push
forward, particularly in the Smo-
lensk sector of the central zone, mil
itary observers said. but both there
and in the Zhitomir region of the
Ukraine are breaking against the
firmneSs and stubbornneSs" of the
defenders. Nazi losses were de-
scribed as heavy.
Authoritative advices as late as
Yesterday said the battered rail and
highway center of Smolensk, 23C
miles west of the Soviet capital, was
still in Russian hands after II days
Of bitter fighting.
Modified Trench Warfare.
A modified form of trench war
fare was reported in the northern
sector, around Porkhov, with the
Germans meeting stiff resistance by
digging in along temporary holloWs
trying to edge forward and then DIG
in again.
At sea also the tide of war was
declared to be turning in favor Of
the Russians and communique re-
ported that Moscows fighter patrol;
and anti-aircraft gunners had re-
pulsed an attempted mass raid OF
from 140 to $50 German planes over
night.
Only four or five planes got
through during the 5i2-hour alarm
the Russians said. and nine Of the
raiders were reported shot down
against no Russian aerial losses.
"A small number of casualties
and fires were admitted.
The central and southern fronts
appeared to be the zones OF greatest
activity in this sixth week of the
conflict.
Overnight. the Soviet Information
Bureau reported. fighting continued
in the long-contested Nevel-Smo-
lensk sector and on the Zhltomf
front. in the Ukraine.
Offensive Indicated.
Indications that the Russians we're
swinging more and more to the OIL
fensive were seen in a communlque
on Yesterdays fighting, which re-
ported the big German pushes
toward Moscow and Kiev stopped.
In addition, the Red air feet was
credited with shooting down 1O9
German planes Saturday with a
Ioss of 36 Russian aircraft, and
coastal defense guns and the Rus
sian Baltic feet were said to nave
sent two patrol vessels and a tor
pedo boat to the bottom. Loss OF
one Russian torpedo boat was
acknowledged.
Differing widely from this
picture of the operations, the
German high command yester-
dav described Nazi forces as on
the threshold of victory in the
Smolensk salient and German
military spokesman predicted a
direct assault on the Soviet capl-
tai would come next.
(The Germans claimed to have
captured Smolensk, go miles
from Moscow, July l6, and mill
tary spokesman said in Berlin
three days later that the gate to
Moscow was open but German
forces probably would not at
tempt to take the capital at once.
He said the Germans regarded
the breaking up of the Red Army
as more important than the cap
ture of CitiesD
Offensive Breaking Up.
During July 28," a Moscow COM
h1unique declared, "our troops con-
tinued to fight in the direction of
Smolensk and zhitomir. The en-
emy offensive in these directions is
breaking against the firmness and
stubbornness of our troops.
I'm some places our troops have
(See MOSCOW, Page A-15)