Evening star., 1941-08-20
Leninqrod Showdown Battle
Developing at Novgorod After
Reds Are Forced Back 50 Miles
New Germon Coins
Are Reported Eost
Of Pinsk Marshes
Nv the AsSociated Press.

~ the Associated Press.
MOSCOW, Aug. 20.-The battle
for Leningrad developed today into
= great showdown about Novgorod.
an ancient walled town 100 miles
to the south OF that second city of
the Soviet Union.
The Red commands midday COM
munique reported heavy fighting on
every front-including the theater
of a new Nazi penetration east of
the Pinsk Marshes midway between
Kiev and Smolensk near Gomel-
but it was in the north that the
fiercest of all the days struggles was
under way.
Novgorod, the capital of prov
ince of that name, is by terrain
we'll adapted to an effective stand.
The province is half covered with
forests and holds about 1900 lakes
and the town itself stands high on
a hill over the Volkhov River, is
surrounded by swamps and low
lands and has a fortified Kremlln
within stone walls.
The Novgorod battle indi-
Gated q 5O-mile withdrawal by
the Russians before strong
German drive which was still
some 40 miles short of the
important Moscow = Leningrad
Murmansk railroad Novgorod.
At the north of Lake linen, is
50 miles northeast of Soltsi.
where fighting had last been
reported0
Counterattack Reported.
Oficial information as to the sit
uation on the central front before
Moscow was meager, but military
dispatches reported that a Red
counterattack had driven the Ger
mans out of point identified only
as "P" and that Soviet pressure was
being steadily increased.
A report circulated by the official
news agency Tass told of contin-
uing Russian counteroffenSive in
western direction" (which could
have been on the central 'front.' in
which five Russian villages already
had been recaptured.
An indication that the Germans
are beginning to bring air-borne
troops into play in their offensive
was seen in an official announce
ment that number of big four
motored Junkers transports. loaded
with light tanks as well as men, had
been shot down.
No Letup in Battles.
The Red Army declared there had
been no letup in the fierce battles at
the north and south flanks of the
long front, with Russian forces hold
ing out grimly beyond Kingisepp.
within Is miles of Moscow, and
around the big Black Sea port of
Odessa.
The Nazi push to the Novgorod
sector apparently was in support of
the drive directly east from Estonia.
to which Kingisepp fell Monday.
Mention of the fight around Odes-
"a was the only official reference to
the situation in the Western Uk-
raine
The Germans declared yeSter-
day that they held the Ukraine
az far east as the Dneiper River
with the exception of pocket
around Odessa and some centers
of Red Army resistance along the
west bank of the Dneiper. Neither
communique mentioned Kiev.
Ukraine capital on the west bank
OF the Dnieper, $50 miles north of
Odessa The city last was re-
ported still in Russian hands,
Withdrawals Orderly.
The Russians declared their with
drawals were orderly and their re-
sistance everywhere continued
strong.
Neither. they said. was their entire
fight on the defensive
The Red Air Force was said to
have started large fires in new raids
on the Rumanian oil fields around
Ploesti, and Red Star, organ of the
Red Army, said Marshal Semeon
Budyenny's forces in the Ukraine
counter-attacked and recaptured
one town, 1t was identified only as
X"
"A Russian report several days
ago said a town of *" had been
saved at least temporarily by a
Red Army counter-a attack which
killed and wounded 10000 Ger
mans and drove the Nazis back
six to eight miles,
Red Star said the lack of ade-
ouate heavy artillery was proving
handicap to the Germans as the
campaign progressed. The publi-
cation said the Germans were
moving up a few heavy guns, but
that intensive artillery prepare ton
before Nazi attacks still was rare.
President Continues Talks