ROSTOV'S STRUGGLE TO DESTROY TANKS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 279, 25 November 1941, Page 7

ROSTOV'S STRUGGLE TO DESTROY TANKS

STREET ENCOUNTERS Soviet More Confident Than Last Month I !\\. a;xl UmtsJi Wirclc®. Rec. 2 p.m. LONDON, Nov. 24. A brief general review of the position on the eastern front is' given by the Red Star, the Soviet military journal, which, describing the fighting at Rostov, says: "After crashing through the outer defences enemy tanks and mechanised forces were met by anti-tank fire and turned into side streets, where their progress was challenged at every point by the defenders.

The Russians arc reported to have made a big counter-attack near Rostov. An expert in London explained thai Rostov was almost entirely on the north-west side of the Don. There were only two permanent bridges, both carrying single railway lines. For road transport there were four temporary bridges which were removed when the river froze, usually about Christmas. There were no other permanent bridges until 200 miles further north. The crossings are easily destroyed, and the river is 500 yards wide. It will have to be crossed by the Germans before their claim to have occupied Rostov can be exploited successfully.

The Soviet Information Bureau reports: "In a sector on the southern front west of Rostov our forces royled the German 49th Alpine Rifle Corps and a tank division. The Russian counter-attack began on Thursday and by yesterday the Soviet forces had advanced 37 miles. The enemy lost over 7000 killed and a considerable amount of war equipment."

The Russians do noi slate where the battle was fought, but it is believed to have been an effort to relieve the pressure on Rostov. Knemy Advances at Tula On the Moscow front, at Yolo-1 kalamsk. the German advance has been checked in spite of a powerful tank drive at Mojaisk. German reinforcements of tanks and infantry forced the defenders to retire to new positions. At Tula the enemy pressure was met by stubborn resistance, and the Russians under General YermkofT retreated slowly, trading blow for blow with the enemy. Counter-attacking on the entire north-western front the Red Army recaptured Malaya and Yichera. important stations on the Moscow-Leningrad railwav line where more than 1000 Germans were killed. The Soviet troops are not only mopping up the invaders, but are also assaulting another citv on the same line. The German movement from the Kursk region to outflank the Tula Wing of Moscow's defence* has made some progress, although the position in this area at present is rather con-, fused, says The Times Stockholm correspondent- Trie Russians everywhere arc resisting and counterattacking manfully, and show Jess' anxiety than was discernible in Sep-

tember arid October. Their firm determination was tinged then with a certain atmosphere of desperation, but a more confident tone hag appeared lately, reflecting Russian confidence, not as previously in distant and ultimate success, but rather in the more immediate future. The correspondent says the Germans are making a noticeable effort to magnify the Finnish activity, but the information from Finland rather gives the impression that the Finns are taking a rest, TURKS STOP SHIPS Sailings For Bulgarian Ports Banned I'ARGK CARGOES HELD IT Hec. 2 p.m. LONDON. Nov. 24. The German news agency announced that the Turkish Government has forbidden all Turkish ships to sail from Istanbul to Bulgarian ports. The ban operates immediatelv and also affects vessels under 150 Jons. Therefore. GO Turkish motor and sailing boats laden with goods for Bulgarian ports are unable to sail.