RUSSIANS OVERCOME FIERCE RESISTANCE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 303, 23 December 1941, Page 5

RUSSIANS OVERCOME FIERCE RESISTANCE

EJVHff HAMMERED

Baku Oil Production Sets

New Record

C PA. and British Wireless. Rec. 1.30 p.m. LONDON, Dec. 22 Despite fierce resistance the Russians are pushing the Germans back in the Maloyaroslavets area, west of -Moscow, where trte enemy has gathered his forces to repel the attack, says the Tass News Agency. The Russians at certain points drove wedges into the enemy's defences, varying between two and a half ■ to four miles. I General Kutnetsoff, who. after the capture of Yakhrona, broke through the German lines south-west of Klin, says that after their repulse at Dmitrov, leading to the recapture of Klin, 45 miles north-west of Moscow, the Germans in this sector lost 299 tanks, nearly 3000 vehicles and over 150 field guns. Three tank and two motorised divisions and one infantry division vainly tried to check the Russian advaftce. "It is difficult to say where the Germans might try to halt the retreat, bjit we are ready to prevent them from doing so," said General Kutnetsoff. The morning communique from Russia reports fighting on all fronts, and it is understood that the advance is still continuing. The night communique showed progress west of Tikhvin, on the Leningrad front, and south of Tula, on the southern Moscow front, as a satisfactory indication of the steady removal of the Nazi threats to Leningrad and Moscow, while at the same time various other offensives are going forward in different part? of the front. Germans Claim Attacking The Berlin radio claims that German troops, supported by the Luftwaffe, have launched attacks on the entire eastern front, and the numerous Soviet attacks in the central sector have broken down against the stubborn resistance of the German troops. A special Russian communique says 10,090 Germans were killed or wounded on the Moscow front between December 17 and 20, and a vast amount of equipment was captured. Faku, on the Caspian Sea. has broken its record for oil production, fulfilling the year's planned output by December 6. The German news agency stated that reports from Hsinking reveal that Marshal Voroshiloff has been appointed Commander-in-Chief of thej Russian Army in the Far East.

The Times, m a leading article, says the recapture of Volokalamsk snows a counter-offensive imperil line the whole German position. The Russian successes amount to a major w Wch is all the more remarkable because it has been won by armies which for six months have sustained a battering of unprece4 erocity ", Fighting on the " central Russian front is mainly proceeding along the highways.

Throw Out Soviet Pincers „ The Times Moscow correspondent says the Russian High Command is now urging the armies to throw out pincers to surround and exterminate the enemy rather than permit him to disengage. The Germans are believed to have prepared strong e " sl ye positions along the Smolensk highway, also at Smolensk, and Gjatsk. Near Mojaisk tne Germans are reported to be replacing motorised units with infantry.

The Germans in the Yelets sector are stated to be seeking to disengage with the object of regrouping. Eastward of Kursk the Germans appear to have,made a slight local advanck put more southward Russian cavalrv is operating. Foggy weather prevented the Germans from establishing a line along an unidentified river. The enemy has been driven so far from Kalinin that the sound of gunfire cannot be heard there, for the first time for two months. The Russians, after retaking Tikhvin are pressing toward Lake Ladoga, while other Russians are attempting to push along the main Moscow-Lenin-grad railway with the object of cutShlusselbu?g. Leeb ' S fOTCeS holding

The Telegraph's Stockholm correspondent reports that Russians from Leningrad concentrated large forces of heavy tanks and ski troops in a TC!^ night^ttack and succeeded 08 through the enemy's