SURPRISING SPEED OF SOVIET ADVANCE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 302, 22 December 1941, Page 5

SURPRISING SPEED OF SOVIET ADVANCE

MORE NAZI REVERSES

Russian Panzers Smash

Enemy Divisions

United Press Assoc lit ion-—Copyright. Rec. LONDON, Dec. 21. While the Germans are still seeking to explain away their retreat, the Red Army continues to advance along the whole front, impeded here 'and there by German strong points, but generally maintaining a surprising speed considering the enemy's strength and the winter conditions. The Moscow newspaper Izvestia says the Germans have been thrown back 43 miles beyond Tikhvin, east of Leningrad. They have been attempting in the last few days to entrench on a new line and are offering strenuous resistance, particularly in the Volkhov area, south-east of Leningrad, on the line to Moscow, where stubborn engagements are proceeding. Three German Infantry dlvisibns and the 11th Tank Division were routed during the fighting fof Volokalamsk, west of Moscow. According to a prisoner, these divisions lost over three-quarters of their strength and the remainder were no longer fit for fighting because of the cold. The Associated Press ' correspondent with the Red Army says the skeletons of the 6th and 7th German Tank Divisions lie along -the KlinVolokalamsk road, where they have been overtaken and smashed by the Russian panzer divisions. A journey along the 25 miles of twisted road is like a walk through a chamber of horrors. Beside the road are nearly 1000 wrecked tanks, armoured cars, troop carriers, cars and motor cycles. Scores of German bodies can be seen, and hundreds more are buried under snowdrifts or in mass graves marked by birch crosses. Germans Admit Heavy Losses The German communique says: "The fighting in the central sector continues with undiminished violence. We beat back several strong enemy attacks and also repelled violent enemy attempts to break through on the Leningrad front." The Russian communique says that as a result of fierce engagements in one sector,of the Leningrad front Soviet troops occupied an important point. It is felt in London that, in view of the German lame explanations that they were making a voluntary withdrawal in order to "straighten their line" for winter defensive operations, the critical moment, has arrived when any further advance by our Russian allies will start bending the line in the wrong direction from the German standpoint, and Goebbels will have to invent some further excuses for the German lack of success in stemming the Russian onward movement. The Germans are retreating from Russia because their plans have failed, says the Moscow radio, which states that the enemy troops were weakened in the constant fighting before and on December 6. The Russians started to counter-advance to drive the Germans away from Moscow, the enemy retreating westward and leaving behind a great number of killed and wounded officers and men and a large quantity of arms. In the Kalinin sector the enemy are throwing away a great part of their armaments. On the northern and southern fronts the Red Army is constantly driving the enemy from their defence positions and inflicting heavy losses in men and material. Kronstadt Marines on Skis The Soviet war news reports that the streets of Kronstadt are deep in snow. Russian artillery at Kronstadt destroyed dozens of enemy batteries and many German and Finnish units. Ships stationed at Kronstadt were recently Ordered to penetrate enemy waters. They sailed for seven hours under fire frojn coastal batteries, but they did not deviate from their course. This is their fourth expedition this winter. Each ship has sailed during the war 13,000 miles. Skiers train in the squares and on] the ice of the Gulf of Finland. | "Marines on skis" is Kronstadt's slogan. December days are short, but activity continues into the night. Red sailors patrol on the ice and go off on scouting expeditions to attack the enemy from ambush. A Soviet submarine in the Arctic Ocean sank three fully-laden German transports. i

The newspaper Izvestia says the Germans carried out an offensive against Sebastopol, employing infantry and tanks and making repeated air attacks. The Russians, under General Petrov, halted the German motorised units all along the front.

Reports are coming to hand of the deterioration in the health of the German trodps, and the continuance of the retreat maxes It impossible to deal with these sickness cases. In some sectors the state of affairs in this connection is very bad.