Evening star., 1941-08-23
Important Russian
Documents Seized,
Germans Report
Dnieper River City Of
Cherkosi Captured,
News Agency Says
Ey the Associated Prsss.

BERLIN, Aug. 23-Important
secret documents and other material
Of the Soviet high command have
fallen into German hands through
the downing Of Marshal Klementi
Voroshiloff's own courier plane,
D,N.B. reported today.
Waves of German bombers were
said to be hammering at Russian
airdromes on the outskirts of Lenin-
grad as German troops pressed their
offensive against the Soviet city,
cradle of the October revolution and
the chief prize of the northern flank
where the Russians have entrusted
the defense to Voroshiloff.
A hit in the motor of his plane as
1t few low over an airfield occupied
by German infantry forced 1t down,
the agency said.
Bulletin Is Vague.
Again Withdrawing into its pc
riodic shell Of vagueness, the bulletin
from Adolf Hitler's headquarters to-
day dismissed the whole campaign
against Russia with the one terse
sentence: Operations on the east
front continue according to plan.
D.NB.. however, said the fight
for Russia's remaining bridgeheads
on the west bank of the Dnieper
ragged unabated and that the river
city of Cherkasi, 80 miles southeast
OF the Ukraine capital OF Kiev, had
been taken after street fighting in
which a whole Soviet battalion was
wiped out. One of the important
crossings Of the Dnieper is at
Cherkasi.
A British broadcast said today
that according to reports from
Bucharest, Rumanian and Ger
man troops are within miles of
Odessa. The broadcast was heard
in New York by N. B. C.
The Red Army has strengthened
its fortified field positions in the
Ukraine, the agency said, by i'm
bedding some of it's heaviest tanks
1t reported several of these strong
holds overcome and declared the
advance was continuing.
Mopping- Operat ions.
In the capture of Cherkasi, which
straddles the Dnieper, DN.B. said
Soviet resistance finally was smashed
on an island in mid-river.
Mopping-up operations in the
Gomel sector, on the front between
Kiev and Smolensk, also are pro-
crossing swiftly, according to these
advices.
German speed troops, pursuing
Russian forces, were said to have
taken another 900 prisoners as well
as several tanks, IS artillery pieces
and so trucks.
Leningrad, however, apparently
was the focus of the main German
pressure.
Eight airports were raided yester-
day. and IS Russian planes were
destroyed on the ground and 16
in air fights, the Germans said
Rail lines east of the city also were
reported heavily bombed.
Positions Blasted.
Stukas were said to be blasting
anti-aircraft positions north and
east OF Narva, which is 90 miles
southwest Of Leningrad.
The Finnish high command
said Finnish troops had reached
points so miles north of Lenin-
| grad after breaking up five Soviet
divisions and cracking defenses
set up by the Russians on the
former Finnish Mannerheim
Line The entire northeast shore
of the Vuoksi River was reported
in Finnish hands.
The Finnish press today reported
an avalanche offensive" has beer
turned against Viipuri, formerly
Finiands second largest city befor,
it was acquired by Russia.)
DN.B. said Luftwaffe bombers sue.
cessfully attacked armored anc
freight trains east of Gomel in the
central sector of the front. Heavy
Russian losses were claimed in the
southern sector as a result of Naz
air bombardments.
The Deutsche Allegemeine Zeitune
said the central sector army of Field
Marshal Fedor Won Book had estab-
lished liaison with the southern
army Of Field Marshal Karl vor
Rundstedt-a development called
extremely important" by the news
paper.