Evening star., 1941-08-03
Clear Path 10 Moscow
Will Be Open Soon,
Germans Declare
Bottle of Attrition' in
SmoIensk Area to Clear
Way, Berlin Asserts
By the Associated Press.

By tne ASSCclateu fIeSs.
BERLIN Sunday, Aug. 3.-The
well-informed Dienst aus Deutsch-
land commentary predicted today
that "the way to Moscow will be
open shortly" through the Smolensk
area, while German war reports told
of the ouebreak of another great
destructive battle" in the Ukraine
Stubborn efforts of the Russians
to halt the German advance on the
Soviet Capital through the central
front, said the Dienst, German
news service, have led to battle
of attrition" which now has ragged
more than two weeks. 1t declared
the outcome would clear the road
to the east.
Ukraine fighting famed between
the Bug and Dniester Rivers south
of Kiev, with German speed troops
officially declared to have cut deeply
again into retreating Soviet columns
The sudden shift of power in the
Nazi offensive to the southern END
of the huge complicated front was
reported as another week OF the
war slipped by without extensive
territorial gains in other sectors be-
ing reported by the high command.
Divisions Reported Trapped.
Yet further Red army divisions
were reported trapped east of Smo-
lensk, however, with German troops
methodically pressing forward TO
draw tight the net along the road
to Moscow.
The location of the new southern
drive. was given as 155 miles south
of Kiev, the capital of the Ukraine
It evidently was launched across
the Dniester from Upper Bessa--
rabia, and possibly was aimed at
driving a wedge between Kiev, Rus
sia's third city, and Odessa, her
chief Black Sea port.
The Germans already have report
ed advance of their forces across
the lower Dniester, and they were
said today to be bringing their ar
tillery up to within bombardment
range of Odessa, which also is an
important naval base and only about
80 miles distant from the Dniester.
Coupled with the land attack, the
high command said, warplanes
heavily bombed Moscow and rail
functions in the upper Volga and
Southern Ukraine.
$1,000 Prisoners Claimed.
While the Germans claimed to
have made steady if small territorial
advances in the week just ended,
they were putting emphasis again
and again on the military thesis
that the first objective is to destroy
the Soviet Army and not to occupy
its cities.
This war of material against ma
terial was held to be developing IA
vorably for the Germans.
Thus, an unofficial review of the
last seven days said $4,000 prisoners
and enough equipment to outfit a
fair-sized army had been taken.
Captured war material, it was
said, included 1877 heavy tanks, ITO
field cannon, 81 complete artillery
batteries, 1910 machine guns, 5000
motor vehicles, 1900 railway cars
and 2 armored trains.
Destroyed yesterday. another re-
port said, were 129 Soviet planes
The Dienst, commenting on this
phase, said the tanks captured were
as many as Soviet industry can
build in two months. If this keeps
up, said Germans, the Soviet arsenal
soon will be empty.
Little to Say on Material.
AS to how much material the
Germans are losing, they had little
to say, only remarking that German
commanders know how to conserve
their equipment.
Although the Germans admitted
they had been subjected to intense
Soviet counterattacks in the Smo-
lensk area they denied the war had
become one of position, waged from
trenches across no-man's-land.
THE British try to give the i'm
preston it has become a war of
position" said DN.B., official Ger
man news agency, "but Germany
has the power and material to
force a decision in the East and
such decision is a pre-condition
for a finish fight with England
herself"
Newell, Novorzhev, Smolensk and
Zhitomir, towns used by the Rus
SLAMS to describe the areas of fight
ing in their communiques all have
been in German hands many days,
DNB. added.
In other phases of the war, the
seventh air attack on Suez in three
weeks was reported, and a "rich
fund of information" reported
brought back from reconnaissance
over England.
10000 Tons of Shipping.
D.NB. said German combat planes
sank more than 10000 tons of ship
ping and damaged an additional
5000 tons in an attack on a Brit
ish convoy off Scotland.
A 6,000-ton merchantmen was
struck squarely and sank in a short
time, DNB. said Another ves-
sci of between 5000 and 5000 tons
was set afire by several hits, the
agency said, and tanker of 5000
tons struck several times in the
stern was left listing and in flames
so that it was considered a loss
Another freighter of 5000 tons was
struck several times, D.N.B. said.
Before the report of this at
tack was published an unofficia,
tabulation set the destruction o1
shipping destroyed in a week OF
raids along Britain's shipping lane;
at 166,500 tons, including 16,00(
tons sunk or damaged yesterday ano