Greatest Soviet Success Of War

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 284, 1 December 1941, Page 7

Greatest Soviet Success Of War

TRIUMPH AT ROSTOV Nazi Threat To North Caucasus Greatly Reduced (United Press Association.—Copyright.— Rec. 1 p.m.) LONDON, November 30. The Russians' success in the Rostov area is the Soviet's greatest victory so far in the war against Germany. The Red Army has consolidated its position by throwing back the German forces which tried a flanking counter-offensive from the central Don basin. General von Kleist's defeat is of great importance at present, as it considerably reduces the threat to the North Caucasus. The Moscow newspaper Izvestia, commenting on the recapture of Rostov, says this is only a beginning. The correlation of the forces is changing all the time. The struggle is a long process which cannot come to a head in a few days, but the time will come when the whole of the Red Army will pass from the defensive to the offensive. Everywhere, near Moscow, Leningrad, Tula and Rostov, the struggle is entering a new phase, in which the foundation for the rout of Hitler s army is being laid. However, while the boviet armies are trying to seize the initiative, on some sectors of the front the Nazi offensive continues. It is a stubborn, fierce desperate offensive The enemy has at his disposal a mighty war machine which is already showing signs of uneven working, but is still advancing. IHe situation remains serious. " Smiting Retreating Enemy " Izvestia reports that successful Russian counter-attacks are continuing ,n the region of the Donetz Basin. Russian troops are smiting the retreating enemy and inflicting heavy losses while preventing him from gaining a strong foothold on new defence lines. Twenty villages have been freed from Fascist occupation. I he Russians in one day killed or wounded 4000 German officers and men. L Th M Gerina, J S ' Claim to have ca Ptured Klin and Volokalamsk on the Moscow front, remains unconfirmed. The latest Russian dispatches from the front state that the Germans in the Klin and Volokalamsk direction tried to drive wedges in the Soviet line. viet troops counter-attacked, preventing the enemy from surrounding or dislodging any of the Russian units. . > H t .fJ./ OUr c c *®y 8 fighting the Germans were flung back from a town K in Stalinogorsk area, 25 miles south-east of Tula. The Uermans, in attempting to seize the town, threw forward a large DJ 6 A tank ® an . d motorised infantry, hoping to surprise the Ked Army. Russian cavalry, supported by tanks, attacked the Germans while on the march and forced them to retreat and pass to the defensive. Heavy Luftwaffe attacks failed to check Uje Russian cavalry supported by fighter planes, and the Germans "I?** villages. Fighting is proceeding near the town IS., and tbe enemy is at present bringing up reserves and concentrating tanks.