Evening star., 1941-08-28
City Evacuated
After Blast,
Moscow Says
Vast Area Flooded
To Hamper kozis
In Ukroine
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press
Soviet Russia tonight officially
announced the great Dnieper
River Dam, industrial pride Of
the Soviet Revolution, had been
destroyed and acknowledged that
the Red Army had given up the
Industrial city of Dnieperope-
trovsk, just above the dam.
Soviet Spokesman S. A. Log
ovsky confirmed various reports
that the dam had been blown up
with a statement that it was
done so as not to allow this first
child of the Soviet five-year
plans to fall into the hands of
the Hitler bandits" He did not
say when it was destroyed. An
immediate result was to flood
thousands of square miles Of the
Dnieper Valley.
The regular Russian communjoue.
issued earlier than customary. re-
ported the evacuation Of Dnieper-
opetrovsk, but said stubborn fighting
continued on all other areas of the
long front.
The communiQue reported a Red
air raid on the East Prussian city of
Konigsberg.
The Dnieper dam was the first
great construction project of the
Soviet Union.
Planned TO Hamper Nazis.
The dam supplied hydroelectric
power for a large sector of the in
dustrial Ukraine.
"All measures have been taken not
to permit the Germans to make use
Of the dam and its machinery" said
Mr.. Lozovsky.
Reports circulated last week that
the dam had been blown up, but
as confirmation failed to come
through the belief had spread that
the Russians simply had damassd
the turbines so severely that it would
take at least year to repair them.
ct has been pointed out that
blasting of the dam, while taking
away a possible bridge at this one
point across the wide Dnieper, would
make crossing of the river easier for
miles above. Damage below would
be something for both the Germans
and Russians to reckon with. The
dam, completed in 1888, was 200 feet
high and provided electrical energy
for an area of 10000 square miles)
Finnish Canal Captured.
From Helsinki, Finland, it was
reported the strategic Saimaa Ca
nal, which approaches almost to
the outskirts of Viipuri, most i'm
portant city obtained by Russia in
the l939-40 winter war, has been
restored to Finnish hands.
The story said Finnish wedge
had been driven down the canal
northeast of Viipuri until it reached
| Juustila, where the lowest locks are
| situated
Another war report declared Ka-
vantsaari, 10 miles northeast of
Viipuri had been captured, indicat-
ing practically the whole of the
i Cdot-WCSC oOI GdNdld ItdllNdy IlOW Is
in possession of the Firms.
Earlier reports had been black
for the Soviet cause, for the Ger
mans had declared that their forces
stood within 80 miles of Leningrad.
Peoples Army Joins Fight.
Already proclaimed 'in terrible
danger" Leningrad was being de-
Tended by hastily modified volun-
teers in a Peoples Army fighting
alongside regular Red Army troops,
and inside the great industrial city
a third line of defenders manned
street barricades.
| On the southern front, the Ger
mans said masses of Russian in
| fantry attempted to cross back to
the west bank of the Dnieper River
and had been chopped down by
. German artillery.
Only on the central front, guard
/ ing Moscow, did the Russians pre-
sent an optimistic picture. Soviet
dispatches said counterattacking
Red Army troops had smashed two
successive German defense lines in
the Gomel area, about midway be-
tween Smolensk and Kiev.
simultaneously, Soviet Marshal
Semeon Budyenny issued a drama
tic appeal to besieged Russian forces
at Odessa to defend that Black Sea
port Ito the last drop of blood"
Mr.. Lozovsky gave a colorful ex-
planation of the meaning of Stains
"scorched earth" policy. which
(See DAM PAGE 2-Xl