FALL OF MOZHAISK

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

FALL OF MOZHAISK

MAJOR VICTORY FOR RUSSIANS. GAINS IN OTHER SECTORS. RETREAT TOWARD VYAZMA. (United Press Association—Copyright.) LONDON, January 21. All news from the Russian front is overshadowed bv the Russian recapture of Mozhaisk, which constitutes a major victory for Britain’s ally. German prisoners captured at Mozhaisk said that the defenders were ordered to hold the town at all costs. Each house was a fprtress. The Germans had huge stocks of ammunition at Mozhaisk which they were unable to move.

The Germans set fire to every village between Mozhaisk and their former front line, which was 25 miles away. Wells were poisoned in some milages. Aline detectors are clearing up the roads before the Russian forces.

Alany graves in the Mozhaisk area bear the names of Doriots—French legionaries. They fought in German uniforms 'and were buried under German crosses, having fallen in the cause of France’s enemies. While the battle for Mozhaisk was reaching its climax, both the northern and southern arms of General Zhukov’s drive continued to gain further west.

His advance seems particularly strong through Vereya, 13 miles southeast of Mozhaisk, and the Russians are determinedly pressing on after their victory at Kondi-ovo, which is' 120 miles from Smolensk and 50 miles south of Verova.

The Moscow radio says that the remnants of the German forces from IvondroVo are now fleeing in disorder. Russian guards’ regiments recaptured Kondrovo in spite of stiff resistance from twrt German infantry divisions and S.S. .battalions.

The Russian Guards then pressed on and retook the railway station about two miles west of the town, and by evening had reoccupied 12 inhabited points. The guards inflicted heavy losses in men and equipment, destroying the basic strength of one infantry division and one S.S. battalion. Tlie guards are giving the Germans here no time to fortify a new defence line. They are dogging the Germans’ every step. The Stockholm correspondent of “The Times” says that information about the fighting in the Ukraine comes chiefly from Berlin, whose repoi’ts say that a gi’eat new Russian offensive has been engaging a large German force since January 18. The Russians are attacking v with armoured shock units and heavy artillery. Indirect evidence shows that the chief battle zone in the Ukraine is toward and south of Kharkov.

Mozhaisk fell after desperate hand-to-hand fighting in the streets, amid blazing buildings. One hundred thousand picked German troops arc now retreating toward the Vyazma gap in order to evade the attacking Russian forces from the north and the south. The Vyazma gap is 65 miles west of Mozhaisk, and the Germans are reported to be making a desperate effort to escape the encirclement trap. it is reported from Kuibishev that the Russian winter is now at its height. Temperatures of 57 degrees Fahrenheit of frost have been reported. The Berlin correspondent of the Swiss “Basler National Zeitung” reports that Marshal von Bock will succeed Marshal von Reiclienau as commander on the southern front.