Evening star., 1941-08-02
OneSpark Could Cause Explosion
japan Asserts After Oil EMBARGO;
Reds Claim Fourth Nazi Division
Counteruttucks
RepuIse Enemy
Moscow Says
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
MOSCOW, Aug. 2.-The Red
Army, fully modified after six
weeks of war, now is delivering
consecutive counterattacks which
are throwing the Germans back
from their positions at a number
of places, and in doing SO has
just wiped out four German di-
visions, at least one of them in
the SmolenSk area, Soviet re-
ports said today.
From isolated defensive blows the
Red Army is going into consecutive
back the impudent enemy said the
Communist party organ, Pravda.
The paper warned. however. that
the treacherous enemy, despite his
great losses in manpower and ma
terial, is attempting to expand the
territory seized and is trying by all
means to reach the life centers OF
the Soviet Union"
The Soviet command said crack
Red Army units we're driving wedges
into weak spots of the Nazi forward
wall. in an application of Nazi
tactics, to create opportunities for
flank attacks. The division re-
ported crushed at Smolensk was the
18th, an infantry formation.
Fighting Continues Overnight.
A Moscow communique said fight
ing continued overnight near Smo-
lensk, Newell and Zhitomir-scenes
of contested action for days
but that no major engagements
took place"
That report pictured the Russian
lines holding firm and the force of
German thrusts weakening as the
sixth week of the war drew to a
close.
The communique said the 18th
Division was rushed TO the Smolensk
front by the Germans In an attempt
to stem Soviet push which had
showed the German lines back.
Before the infantrymen could get
from march into action, the Rus
sian account said, they were at
tackled from the flank and cut of
from support.
Hundreds of Casualties.
The Red Army's field guns bat
tered the encircled division. causing
casualties by the hundreds, the
communique reported Then the
encircling troops drove in.
The goth Division, veteran Or
ganization of picked men. was cited
in the Russian military dispatches
as an example of the forces stabbing
at the German forward wall The
goth was said to have opened gaps
for f1anking attacks with its smash
ing of the three enemy divisions.
Red Army tanks forces also were
credited with destroying smaller
German units, The Moscow COM
munique reported, too. that Soviet
tank units on several sectors of the
front encountered and smashed
manned but immobilized German
tanks. Some of these, the communi-
que asserted. had been partly buried
and were used as heavily armed
pill-boxes.
The communique said the tanks
were being put to such use by the
Germans because the war was
draining oil supplies so fast many
advanced tank units we're running
out of fuel.
Russian military dispatches said
the Germans were resorting to para
chutists te reinforce some advanced
positions seized by mechanical
forces out of reach of infantry sup
port.
Working to keep military supplies
moving behind her own lines. Rus
sia declared tomorrow "a voskres-
mix" or day of voluntary work on
all railroads. Workers will do with
out the day off, and their wages for
the day will be contributed to de-
Tense funds.
Moscow underwent its ninth air
raid of the war during the night,
but the attack was described as
frustrated, with only three or four
raiders breaking through the city s
defenses. Incendiary bombs were
dropped and few fires broke out.