MAJOR NAZI REVERSE IN TULA STRUGGLE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 273, 18 November 1941, Page 7

MAJOR NAZI REVERSE IN TULA STRUGGLE

STRAW ON ENEMY

Red Army Success Against Picked Enemy Troops U.P.A. and British Wireless. Rec. 1 p.m. LONDON, Nov. 17. The Times Stockholm correspondent says that if the diagnosis is correct and the drive against Tula, 110 miles south of Moscow, has failed, this battle must be recorded as a major German defeat, and. indeed, as the frustration of the offensive against Moscow in 1941. The decision may be contested by a further outflanking movement from the region of Kursk and Orel, but apparently the overstrained communications will defeat such a purpose, and the long sweeps which would be necessary would demand more material than the Germans have.

The correspondent adds that the Germans and Finns in the Murmansk region have achieved practically nothing for four months and are still stuck at the River Liza.

Life in Tula is almost normal. The cinemas are finding plenty of patrons, the shops and streets are crowded, and the factories are working at high pressure. From some of the factories important plant is being removed. The Germans have been thrown back from the southern outskirts of the town, but other enemy forces have -shelled some streets. These forces have suffered huge losses, and many guns, and aircraft have been put out of action. It is thought that the intense cold will make it possible for the Russians to drive the enemy from other positions around the town.

Battle for Important Railway

The war correspondent of the Moscow newspaper Pravda on the Karelian front describes an operation by pickpd German troops a fortnight ago in the Kestenga area, when thev attempted to cut an important railway, drive a wedge between Russian units, disrunt Russian communications and thus improve their position in the Murmansk area. The enemy's furious attack was met with Puch tenacity and valour that in the first ten dnvs' fi.rhtinw the enemy lost Poout 4000 killed. The Soviet then attacked the German flank, advanced several miles and captured a number of imnortant localities. Thev left hundreds of killed and wounded lying on snow-covered Pi'ound. Thereafter the enemy failed to move a step forward.

The Red Star says the Germans in recent days have been massing reserves and regrouping their forces on the Kalinin front, north-west of Moscow, and on Friday they threw in large formations, attacking one of the most important sectors. The Russians beat off most of the attacks, hut the enemy in some areas overwhelmed small "advance posts and moved forward slightly. On other sectors the Russians drove the Germans back and captured villages. One Russian advance unit captured three viDaces on the western bank of the Volga River.

Confnsed Fighting . Official reports reaching London indicate that confused fighting is taking place on various parts of the Russian front, with both sides attacking, but there has been no appreciable geographical move in either direction. The latest Soviet communique reports fighting during the night along the whole front, and describes local exploits of artillery and tanks and of partisans harassing the enemy rear. There is no further information about the position at Kerch, the capture of which is claimed by the Germans, although it is known that" the Germans are very close to the town.

The Moscow wireless claims that the enemy has been driven from a village on the central front with great losses, and that there has been a further local advance against strong resistance near Leningrad, where German casualties in the last five days have been about 1000 killed and wounded.

There is no confirmation in London of Oslo radio reports that "a Finnish armoured unit routed a Russian armoured unit armed exclusively with British tanks."

ANSWER TO PANZERS Russian Fighter Plane With Secret Weapon STRONG SOVIET DEFENCES Rec. 10.30 a.m. MANILA, Nov. 17. Mr. Wallace Carrol, London manager of the United Press, upon his arrival from Russia, said that a Russian fighter plane, equipped with a secret weapon, which had been described as the only really new invention of the war, "was probably the long-sought answer to the German panzer tactics. Mr. Carrol added that despite heavy losses of men and material the Russian Army remains a strong, defensive force and the Red Air Force is still a powerful fighting organisation. It has takeji heavy toll of the Luftwaffe, he said, and besides is giving the Russian Army strong support.