Evening star., 1941-06-30

other war materials.
They claimed that four Russian
destroyers, three submarines and a
torpedo boat had been sunk and the
8,800-ton Russian cruiser Maxim
Cork damaged. The only mention
of the cost of these successes was
the assertion that $50 German
planes had been lost.
The Russian communique to-
dav had a different version. 1t
acknowledged the loss of Grodno,
Brest Litovsk, Wilma and Kaunas.
1t made no mention of Dvinsk,
but admitted loss of Bialystok.
Ut said $500 German tanks
were destroyed. compared with
900 Russian; that 1900 German
planes had been destroyed, to
$50 Russian planes and that
10000 Germans had been taken
prisoner, compared with $4,000
RuSSianD
An authorized commentator here
called attention today to the fact
that the German claims Of destroy
ing 4,107 Russian planes in the
first week of the offensive far ex-
Ceeded NaZi claims that 2,635 hostile
planes were destroyed in the whole
campaign on the western front.
Two Armies Sidestepped.
The columns which reached the
head of the motor road from Minsk
90 miles inside the old Russian from
tier. to Moscow were said to have
side-stepped the two surrounded
Russian armies in the Bialystok area
to reach their objective.
military sources in Vichy
heard that the two armies in
cluded 100000 Russians. These
sources, however, gave the Soviet
forces a good chance to break
through the German lines.
The Russians. indeed, claimed
that instead of being cut of,
their armies before Minsk had
nipped off the panzer thrusts)
Dienst aus Deutschland, authori-
tative German commentary which is
credited with knowing the views OF
the Foreign Office, said the an
nounced strategic successes of the
German Army should be viewed as
follows:
l. The two surrounded armies in
the BialyStok area must choose to
surrender or be destroyed.
2. In the Baltic area the German
thrust has been especially rapid and
successful. The high command said
Nazi forces in this area had bat
tered $50 miles along the railroad
from Warsaw to Leningrad.
Tanks Declared Defeated.
The course of fighting in the east
also may be considered under three
headings, Dienst said:
l. The Germans are convinced the
Russian tank arm is as good as de-
feated, and the Russian air force
has been mortally wounded.
2. Special emphasis must be given
to the great distances covered in the
fighting and the large areas brought
under German control.
3. The initiative along the entire
front remains in German hands
despite Russian attempts to counter
attack.
New and great success is in prep
aration," the high command said in
its delayed series of special an
nouncements, which created the i'm
preston here that Russia was facing
military catastrophe.
The press, silent for week on
Russian developments, greeted the
announcements with jubilation. Hit
ler's Voelkischer Beobachter de-
clared: THE Fuehrer has saved
Europe from the Bolshevist inva-
sion."
SlOvaks Claim Successes.
The high command of the Slovak
Army reported its troops had fought
their way deep into Soviet terri.
tory"
A communique from Bratislava
capital of the German protectorate
OF Slovakla part of dismembereo
Czecho-S -Slovakia), carried here By
DNB., said:
Advance units Of the Slovai
Army, after hard fighting. forced