The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-07-29

.~A-s-------s~. a Nazi spearhead considerably fur- ther ahead toward Moscow.
 The high commands claim of tho smashing of the bulk of the Russian troops behind the German vanguard followed its assertion yesterday that the Smo.ensk battle is approaching conclusion and that all efforts of the Russian troops to avoid destruc- tion have been foi.cd.
 The high command insisted that the "final pocket" of Soviet forces which is still holding out east of Smolensk Is now facing destruc- ton.
 Moscow was bombed for several hours during the night, German accounts said, and shortly after midnight a great fire covering a wide area was said to have been observed in the northeastern sec ton of the Russian capital as well as many smaller fires. ,,%
 The high command said that within a few days 1t would report on the great numbers of prisoners captured and huge quantities of military stores taken in the "Smo- lenck annhiilation battle.
 The high command said that the operations in the Ukraine are pro- gressing steadily and that Ru. manian forces have now reached the Dniester estuary area in which Alderman is located, thus com pleteiy driving the Russians from Bessarabia.
 Weather Is Blamed
 Military spokesmen emphasized difficulties of weather and terrain which are being encountered on the eastern front and the tena- c!ous resistance of Russian troops.
 They said that fin general" the "great battle of destruction and attrition eastward of the Stalin line" was continuing, but while em- phasizing gains on the Flemish and Ukrainian ends of the frot, they said of the vital Moscow front only that the operations around Smo. lensk were nearing completion"
 Military experts in special news. paper articles continued to devel- op the idea that conditions in the Russo German war were unique" :" and that the high command was revealing as little as possible in order to keep all information from the Russians.
 The objective is and immovahly remains the destruction of the en- emy before everything else in this 3O.nlile deep area of the Stalin line," wrote Maj. Otto Lehman in today's Lokalanzeiger.
 we know from the last war that the enemy is 8 master of retreat, that is of the art of drawing .he German armies to his rear." He continued to say that condi- tions had changed now with the de- velopment of motorized and air forces. Then he admitted that the vast spaces" of Russia and the fierce resistance of Russian troops "even when encircled" had cost the Germans time.
 'Therefore 1t would be unfound- ed optimism to expect a faster tem- DO in the course of events," he said.
 Germany D0esn'S Know
 spokesnen said they knew mo- thing of reports abroad quoting German sources in Finland, that German and Finnish artillery was bombarding Leningrad from threa directions"
 However, German radio announce |ers said Finnish troops were fight- ing forward victoriously on both sides of Lake Ladoga. They said that the Films had shot down 10l Russian planes Sunday night. Radio commentators said that during the weekend German troops desoryeth os Russian tanks "near Kiev", on the Ukranian front. The newspaper Hamburger Frell- denblatt said today that British planes had been dropping forged clothing ration cards in Germany during teh last few days and warn- cd that persons who tried to use them would be sentenced to long prison terms, f not death, as sab- oteurs.
 Fremdsnhlatt said c large nums Der og forged cards had been found in . BTitlsh plane which was shot down. xt added that the cards could easily be detected as forgeFiss.
 ssxho British by this trick tnlend te eaalse unrest and ccnfusion ln the fatieaing wBtem," the newspaper said.
 Everyone Wlo found such cards, | lk enid. would he erneeleA .o drI'v1F