Evening star., 1941-07-20
Battles Raging
In Two Sectors,
Soviet Reports
Nuzi Drive Delayed,
Reds Hint; Fresh
Activity Revealed
By the Associated Press.

MOSCOW, Sunday, July 90
Great continuing battles in the
Polotsk-Nevel and SmolenSk
sectors we're reported by the
Soviet Information Bureau to-
day, implying that the German
eastward thrust had been held
up, since these were areas in
which fighting had been reported
in progress yesterday.
Both north and south of this
central front zone defending Mos
COW, however, fresh activity was an
nounced.
Fighting famed again in the
region of Pskov, 160 miles south
west of Leningrad, and at Novograd
VolynSki, Ukrainian city far to the
south which has long been scene
of fighting in the war now entering
its fifth week.
No Changes Elsewhere.
The Sunday communique reported
no important changes on other
sectors of the 2,000-mile front, but
said the Soviet air force destroyed
German motorized units and air.
craft, and air and naval units de-
structively raided German conveys
In the Baltic Sea.
"AS a result of an attack by our
air force, motor torpedo boats and
destroyers," it said, I'll enemy
transports and one tanker were
sunk. One enemy fighter was
brought down.
Our losses in this combat were
one airplane and one motor torpedo
boat. The crew was saved"
Recapture of two war-torn cities
behind the German lines was re-
ported by Russian military news
paper.
Casualties Tremendous.
In the fighting of the central
zone, where German vanguard
was reported at Smolensk, tre-
mendous casualties we're noted on
both sides in a communique yester-
day.
Four areas of heavy engagements
we're reported in 200-mile zone and
fighting in other sectors was ignored.
The four were at Bobruisk, in the
heart of White Russia. Smolensk,
rail and highway center 230 miles
southwest of Moscow; PolotSk, on
the Dvinsk- -Vitebsk rail line, and
the nearby lake town of Newell,
Under lowering clouds, the full
fury of the German offensive was
declared to be concentrated on the
Smolensk- Moscow highway and
Russians crowded the f1anks of the
vanguard in an effort to crush it
while their mates to the west blocked
off Nazi reinforcementS.
Red troops were reported by the
government newspaper IzveStia to
have reSorted to entertainments to
wait out German artillery fire and
aerial strafhng Then they emerged
with machine guns, mortars and
bayoneted rifles, Izvestia said, to
meet the advance of the Reichswehr
infantry.
Delaying tactics of the Soviet
Armies, it was said, helped the
guerrilla bands to get in their maxi
mum blows behind the German
lines.
Armored Column Broken.
The two cities reported recaptured
by these semi-militarized units were
identified only as "SH" and "Z"
The Soviet Army newspaper Red
Star said in a dispatch from the
front that 10 men laid the ground
work for the coup.
They were joined by others, the
newspaper said, and broke up Ger
man armored column, capturing
three Whippet tanks, several arm
ored cars and bicycles and NUM-
tons.
Bolstered by the tanks and arm
ored cars, they attacked German
garrisons successfully and were well
coined by the civilians with gifts of
food and clothing, the account said.
Aside from the Smolensk wedge,
the end of the fourth week of the
German invasion found Russian
lines apparently taut from the Black
Sea to the Baltic.
In view of the war possibilities,
some personnel of the United States
Embassy moved from Moscow to
Kazan, Volga River port $50 miles
to the east. The Ambassador and
his chief aides remained, however.