MASSIVE ONSLAUGHT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 62, Issue 86, 22 January 1942, Page 5

MASSIVE ONSLAUGHT

TANKS ATTACK ON NOVGOROD. THE CAPTURE $F MOZHAISK. FORMIDABLE DEFENCE SYSTEM. (United Press Association—Copyright.) (Rec. 11.35 a.m.) LONDON, Jan. 21. It is announced in Moscow that the Germans, between December G and January 15, lost 300,000 killed. The “Evening Standard’s” correspondent on the Eastern Front reports that the Russians have begun 'a massive onslaught against Novgorod from Lake Ilmen. The Germans are fighting off wave after wave of Russian tanks. The Russians admit heavy losses but claim satisfactory progress. General Govorov, broadcasting on the Moscow radio, told how his troops took Mozhaisk. He said that the Russians entered the town on • Monday morning, thus ending the second stage of the offensive operations in the Mozhaisk direction which began in December. In the first stage the enemy was pushed from Zvenigorod. Russian units on January 10 broke through the enemy defence line south of Kublina. The Germans attempted to malSe a stand on the intermediate line of defence. The Russians bypassed the strongpoints and infiltrated with great skill behind the German supply lines, causing a panic. The Germans retreated.

The fighting for Mozhaisk proper began on Sunday.. The Germans had constructed blockhouses in the northern, eastern and southern outskirts of the town, and also had transformed brick houses in the centre of the town into strongpoints. This formidable defence system could be overcome only by concentrated artillery and trenchmortar attack. Russian artillery smashed the strongpoints in the eastern sector with terrific point-blank fire. The Russians then began a pincer attack, and considerably advanced in the area north and south of Mozhaisk. The enemy was forced to evacuate the town under threat of being surrounded.

The Germans left a small unit to cover the retreat. The Russians charged, entered the town, and cleax-ed out the German snipers and machinegunners. The Germans have already been driven back another six miles from Mozhaisk.

According to Russian railwaymen, five or six trains of wounded, frostbitten Germans have been sent away from Mozhaisk daily, while there are German cemeteries all around the town.