Evening star., 1941-07-28
Soviet Air Force
Swinging Into
Offensive
BY the Associated Press.

MOSCOW, July 28-The Red
Army appeared today to be
taking the initiative on several
sectors of the RuSsian-German
front-a 2,OOO-mile fighting zone
along which Soviet spokeSmen
earlier declared the Nazi blitz-
krieg had broken down to siege
tactics.
A communique reported fighting
actions of our troops" throughout
the night in the directions of Newell
and Smolensk. in the central region.
and at Zhitomir, in the Ukraine.
This was a variation from the
wording of previous communiques,
which mentioned only stubborn bat
ties or fierce fighting. indicating that
the Russians now are undertaking
more than defensive operations.
The Red air feet as well as ground
troops were reported to be gradually
swinging into the offensive.
Russian Thrusts Cited.
The communique cited several
specific instances of Russian thrusts
against the Germans. ranging from
local raid on the invaders lines to
large scale counter-attack.
One detachment was reported to
have attacked the German-gar-
risoned city of z" and driven out
the Nazis in street fighting with
bayonets and grenades, infiicting on
them 200 casualties
Other units were reported TO have
raided German artillery batteries
commonly placed behind the in
fantryJ and routed a German motor
ized column.
These significant references to
Russian activity followed a report in
last nights communique that Ger
mans were burying tanks for use as
stationary pillboxes because of a
shortage of fuel
All evidence on this side indicated
that the German drive against the
Russian lines was draining the Ger
man Army's strength and that its
progress was coming TO halt in the
sixth week of the war
Constanta Raided Again.
The Red Army communique cred
tied the Red air feet with new
raids on the Black Sea port of Con-
stanta and shipping off the Finnish
coast
Moscow had a respite last night
from German air attacks after five
raids last week. No alarm sounded
throughout the night or this morn
ing
Russian warplanes were said to
have scored direct hits on Finnish
coastal defense cruiser and ham
mered overnight at German fighting
forces and the Luftwaffe's nests
behind the lines.
A supplemental report said
Russian naval planes sank a Ger
man cutter and transport in an
attack on three German ships seen
ieaVlng flnnlSn pOrLS.
Nazis Face New Verdun.
A Moscow communique and gov
ernment spokesman report as the
war entered its sixth week claimed:
l. The Nazis were faced with a
new Verdun-held to a standstill
after DAYS of costly effort to break
through the Smolensk sector toward
Moscow and the Zhitomir front
toward Kiev.
2. Destruction of two German di-
visions, one of them perhaps in the
Smolensk salient where the Red
Army was credited with putting up
a fight that will be studied many
years"
s. A fierce defense of Moscow and
Leningrad that frustrated repeated
German aerial attempts to burn out
the two big cities of Western Rus
sia during the past week.
Luftwaffe Forced Back.
4. Red Army forays approaching
counter offensives against the Ger
mans in some sectors of the land
front, timed with increasing Red
Air Fleet operations which caused
the Luftwaffe to fall back on bases
far to the rear
5. Destruction of two German
torpedo boats, two tankers. a sub
marine and several patrol boats in
a Red Air Fleet sweep over the
Baltic.
The blitzkrieg is washout," said
S. A. Lozovsky, vice foreign COM
missar. 1t was he who described
the war as a new Verdun" with the