ONE BREACH MADE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 62, Issue 5, 17 October 1941, Page 5

ONE BREACH MADE

THE DEFENCES OF MOSCOW. HEROIC RESISTANCE PUT, UP. NEW GERMAN UNITS IN ACTION. United Press Association—Copyright.) LONDON, Oct. 16. The Germans are still making progress toward Moscow. The Soviet communique issued at mid-day to-day says that throughout last night fighting continuSltl along the whole front, with particularly heavy battles in the west. By the west the Russians refer, no doubt, to the Battle for Moscow, which grows in ini tensity from hour to hoiu\ The Germans are constantly throwing new units into action. The gravity of the threat to the capital was indicated in the previous Russian communique, which said that on Tuesday night the position on tha central front deteriorated. Hurling in large forces of tanks and motorised infantry, the Germans in one sector broke through the defences, and ab though the Russians opposed the enemy heroically and inflicted heavy losses, they were compelled to retreat.

While Moscow’s most critical hour approaches, millions of Russian citi zens behind the lines are being trained to handle machine-guns and rifles so that they will be ready to take up arms at a moment’s notice. The most bitter fighting for the capital is still round Vyazma, in the west, and at Kalinin, in the north. The Russians seem to have full control of the broad highway from Vyazma to the capital and the Germans are trying to outflank the Russian positions astride the road.

The Germans say that Kalinin has been in their hands for days. They make the same claim about Kaluga, 100 miles south-west of Moscow; but the situation round Kaluga remains obscure. It seems, though, that the Germans have made progress.

According to a message from Washington, news from American correspondents about the,battle for the capital does not inspire confidence. The Berne correspondent of the “New York Times,” remarking that all is not well iii Moscow, says: “Seven of Moscow’s regular radio stations are not while others are broadcasting in a disorganised fashion. Some are sending out communiques several days old; others are omitting their usual references to brutal Nazi overlords and are substituting classical music. There is similar disorganisation in their, German, French, English, and Spanish transmissions, -which repeat the same statements all night. Moscow says the Russians aro usiiis “wandering mines” to destroy German tanks.

Two men hide in pits between 30 and 40 yards apart, each holding the end of a rope, to which a mine is attached in the middle. Manipulating the rope, they pull the mine under the treads of the tank passing between them.