Evening star., 1941-07-13

garian troops are pursuing the
fleeing enemy out Of Galicia.
Northeast of the Dnestr German
troops are standing close before
Kiev.
North of the Pinsk swamps the
strong fortified zone on the Dnepr
has been overcome. Thereby the
center of our attacking front has
been advanced more than l25 miles
east of Minsk. Signs of breakup
and dissolution are appearing among
numerous enemy units.
''VitebSk has been in our hands
since July II. East of Lake Peipus
German panZer units are advancing
toward Leningrad.
Our air force by destroying the
enemy railway net already has taken
away from the enemy further pos
sibility of counter operation on a
large scale.
Supply bases necessary for con-
tinuing operations of our panzer
armies already have been advanced
close to the former Stain Line"
wet Zone" Of Line StOrmed.
Fortifications of the northern wet
zone" of the Soviet bulwark were
under storm, said DNB.
The Stain Line utllizes rivers.
swamps and hills wherever possible
in its course from the Black Sea to
the Gulf of Finland. The wet
zone' might refer either to the l80-
mile stretch of the Dnepr River from
the Pinsk marshes north 10 Orsha
or to the river and lake country east
of the Baltic States frontiers.
DNB said the Stain Line was not
Of the type of the Maginot Line OF
the German Westwall. but a defense
in depth. with fortifications scat
tered over broad region and with
strategic sections protected by
trenches.
A commentator said it was diff
cult to tell precisely where such a
deep defense system begins or ends
or at what moment it can be said
to have been penetrated. The stu
alton is, rather. that there is hard
fighting over an extensive country
side, he said.
The comment of authorized
spokeSmen indicated there was
fighting on an unprecedented scale
along most of the 2,0O0-mile front
Berlin reported that the superiority
of German equipment and organiza-
ton was definitely beginning to tell
against the more numerous Rus
slams and that events foreshadowed
a Soviet military collapse.
Road-stained German infantry
men we're declared to have cleared
the way last night for the all-out
assault in the northern sector
They swung into action after 16 days
of marching against what D. N. B
declared to be seemingly uncon-
querable obstacles"
THE enemy, who suffered heavy
losses, at no point was able to hold
up the German advance" the news
agency reported.
101 Russian Tanks Claimed.
The Germans were apparently in
their most favorable position in the
central sector, still benefiting from
the confusion resulting from the
rout of two Russian armies in the
battles of Bialystok and Minsk.
Press dispatches stated that roll
ing attacks of the air force in this
region swept over Russians trying
to scramble out of the danger zone
over roads subjected to constant
bombardment.
II was reported that in the vicin-
ity of Vitebsk the Russians lost
l0l tanks in a counterattack. Ger
man reports said five 52-ton tanks
were among the Soviet equipment
destroyed.
A hint as to where central sector
fighting was taking place was con-
tanned in Luftwaffe report of the
firing of a 58-car train of gasoline
east of Minsk on the Smolensk
rail line More than 10000 liters
198,l gallons) of gasoline were
destroyed, Germans said.
As to the southern sector, D.N.B
said German bomber had de-
stroyed an important bridge over
the Dnestr River, thereby prevent
ing the retreat of a Soviet unit
which had been separated from a
Large body of Russian troops in
that area.