Evening star., 1941-07-02
Chaos CLOSING
Over Russians,
Nazis Claim
160, 900 Taken, 4,725
Planes Destroyed,
Berlin Asserts
BULLETIN.

VlCHY lPl.-Mllltary circles
here tonight reported the
Russians have launched a
powerful counter offensive
against the GermOns on all
fronts. The cOunter-offen-
sive apparently has not yet
produced any real results, ac-
Cording to Vichy observers,
but it has had the effect of
slowing up the German push.
b. the Associated Press
The Germans were reported
today to have captured Russias
ice-free Arctic port of Murmansk
and the Nazi high command an
nounced in Berlin that "unbe-
lievable chaos has closed over
the Soviet army"
Murmansk has been in German
hands since yesterday. a Stockholm
dispatch to Reuters British news
agency said. quoting the Berlin
correspondent Of the Swedish news
paper Aftonbladet
The German high command
claimed the capture of 10000 Rus
sian prisoners since Russo-German
hostilties began and said the Rus
slams had lost 4725 planes, STA
tanks and 2.230 guns.
Because of the stubborn Soviet
defense. the Berlin communique
added, and the "embittered attempts
to break out Of encirclements. the
bloody losses Of the enemy exceed
the number Of prisoners by several
times"
The destructive battle east Of
I Blaiystok. the high command sad.
has brought "a decision of world
proportions" following the destruc-
ton OF "A large part Of huge
trapped Russian armies, reported to
comprise more than 100000 men.
Meanwhile an official Russian
spokesman denied that GERMANY
had captured Minsk. capital of
White Russia, or Riga. capital of
SovietiZeG Latvia.
Capture Would Cut of Russia.
The fall of Murmansk. German
sources in Berlin were quoted as
saying, would prevent supplies from
Britain and he United States from
reaching the Russians by this route
and would mean thai European Rus
sia was entirely cut off.
Earlier the Russians claimed
German offensive against the Sredni
peninsula, guarding the northern
entrance to Murmansk, was meet
ing fierce resistance" by Soviet
troops. The Germans failed to give
details of their offensive into Rus
Sia from Northern Finland.
Authoritative Norwegian sources
in London said measures taken by
the German Army IN Norway sug-
gested big movements Of troops in
that country. and they added that
state of emergency had been de-
clared by the Germans throughout
Northern Norway with freight rates
on the railways considerably re-
duced.
Such activity on the part Of the
Germans might be either in conneC-
tion with the invasion of Russia
from Finland or preparation for an
attempt TO invade England.
Four Nazi Subs Claimed.
Meanwhile. Radio Tass reported
from MoScow-in a broadcast heard
in New York-that four German
submarines had been sunk in three
days by Soviet warships in the Baltic
Sea.
The Finnish government claimed
that six Russian planes were shot
down yesterday by Finnish fighters
and anti-aircraft guns
The government also reported that
Kotka on the southern coast 90 miles
east of Helsinki. was raided yeSter-
day by Russian planes which ma
chine-gunned civilians. Raids on
three other towns with only minor
damage were reported.
Russia Thanks L. S.
Soviet Russia officially thanked
the United States today for its stand
on the Russo-German war and once
again defied Adolf Hitler with firm
declaration that he can never win
the war"
The spokesman for the Kremlin.
Vice Commissar of Foreign Affairs
S. A. Lozovsky, declared at press
conference in Moscow that Russia
could mobilize another 100000
people if necessary without adverse
effect on our man power and ma
terial resources.
That is why we are so calm in
the face of difficulties he said.
Lozovsky said the recent declara-
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