PRESSURE GROWS ON MOSCOW

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23495, 25 November 1941, Page 7

PRESSURE GROWS ON MOSCOW

Position At Rostov Obscure RUSSIAN VICTORY WEST OF CITY (united press association—copyright.) (Received November 24, 11 p.m.) LONDON, November 24. Although Russian resistance is increasing in strength each hour on the Moscow front, the capital’s situation is more serious than ever, says the Stockholm correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph.” Fighting is growing in intensity at Klin, Volokolamsk, Mozhaisk, and Tula and the Germans are bringing up new reserves in a steady stream. A new battle has been raging during the last 24 hours in the Serpukhov region. Reliable sources, he adds, confirm that the Russians have withdrawn from Rostov across the Don, blowing up all bridges and destroying all fac» tories and shipyards, but even the Germans deny the report that they have already crossed the Don. Other reports say that the position at Rostov is obscure. Last night the Russians reported fighting in the city but said that it was not entirely in German hands. West of Rostov the Russians have scored a big victory. This was reported by the* Moscow radio this morning. It said that in a three days’ battle the 49th ' German Alpine Corps, the Viking S.S. Division, and the 16th Tank Division were routed, leaving more than 7000 men on the field and a vast quantity of ynaterial. Following up this success the Russians pursued the enemy, and by dusk on Saturday had pushed forward nearly 40 miles. The sector was not mentioned, but it is believed that the aim of the operation is to relieve the pressure on Rostov.

Marshal von Bock is throwing masses of tanks into the' battle for Moscow, in a final, desperate effort to win winter quarters before it is too late, says the Stockholm correspondent of the “Daily Express.” The situation on the entire Moscow front is serious, and the Germans have advanced to Klin from Volokolamsk. The Luftwaffe has resumed heavy raids on Moscow. The Russian spokesman ,(M. Lozovsky) said'yesterday that the Germans were nowhere within 50 miles of-iMos-, COW. ' j I"’ It is reported that the fighting continues fiercely in the battle for the capital, but the Germans have been compelled to reconstruct their plans for the attack on the city itself. They are attempting an encircling movement from Kalinin in the north and Tula in the south. The Russians have held every attack so far, but the Germans continue to attack heavily. The Stockholm correspondent of “The Times” says that the Germans seized the opportunity of easier mobility as a result of the freezing of the ground and resumed their offensive against Moscow on a scale and weight exceeding expectations. A slight Russian retreat at Tula and Volokolamsk was made in good order, and the prospects of an unyielding resistance are better than they were during the earlier offensives. It is believed, he adds, that the Germans will be unable long to maintain the present strength of the offensive because of inadequacy of supplies for the present rate of expenditure. Casualties are already tremendous, even judged by the high standard of the Moscow front. “Pravda” says that the Germans have again succeeded in making some advance in the Volokolamsk and Mozhaisk directions, and in the area southeast of Tula. German tanks pierced Russian lines in the Tula sector, but were halted on the outskirts of the city. The Germans are persistently attacking along the Volokolamsk highway, where effective Russian counteraction stemmed the drive. German attempts to move southwards and cross the river Naro again failed, with heavy casualties. Fighting continued until nightfall, and in some cases went on throughout the night. There were no serious engagements and no substantial changes in the Naryfominsk and Malo Yaroslavets sectors, “Pravda” adds. Heavy fighting is proceeding in the direction of Kursk, where the Germans brought up large tank forces and succeeded in advancing slightly. The Russians cut up three battalions of infantry. Russian infantry, strongly supported by artillery, captured several villages on a southern sector of the Kursk front, and in one day wiped out 1000 Germans. It is unofficially claimed in Berlin that the Germans have crossed the Don and are advancing southwards. The “Red Star” admitted yesterday that the Germans had penetrated the Russian defences at Rostov and that heaw fighting was proceeding in the streets. German tanks had reached the railway station, where the fighting was particularly tierce. The Germans were paying dearly for every yard of advance. In the last three days the Russians had killed or wounded thousands of German soldiers, and the air force in the last five, days had wiped

out 4000 soldiers and destroyed dozer* of tanks. There is no confirmation by the Russians of the claim by the Gerjnansto ' have captured Rostov. The city is: situated on the western bank of the Don, and even if this important city has fallen, the river should prove a considerable obstacle to the Germans’ advance towards the Caucasus. Marshal Timoshenko isclSarlyoffermg the fiercest’ r*sistarice~xh' tor, as the preservation of the oil of thh of the sea route from the oil .wells--of Baku to the north Caspian port of Astrakhan is of first importanCe to the Russians, • .. The current issue of the VEconomist” points out that the oil resources of the ;Urals are not yet fully developed and that they certainly are not adequate alone to meet the demands of the vast and growing Russian industry east of the Volga. ' . Although the loss of Rostov would be very serious, another railway for the transport of oil fi*om. the Caucasus would remain, while there is a further route across the Caspian to Astrakhan. v The Moscow radio yesterday claimed that Russian forces in the Donets Basin had advanced 22 miles in two days. Miners from the Don pits stormed

mountain x heights and drove back the Germans. Other' major successes were reported in this area, where 10 large villages were recaptured. The Germans lost two of five battalions. Russian Stormoviks are dealing terrific blows against German reinforcements. “Izvestia" says that Russian troops are forcing their way towards the river “T," on a sector to which the Germans attach great importance. Ihe Germans here concentrated picked troops and, massed guns, but accurate Russian artillery fire destroyed the German bases. A Moscow communique states that the Spanish Blue Division in its, first engagement suffered tremendous losses. Many men attempted to desert. The Moscow radio declares that the Russians have captured three more important points on the Leningrad front. The Russians, it says, retain the initiative, and are constantly attacking. German and Finnish forces, which drove a wedge into the Russian defences in the Kestenga sector, on the Central Finnish front, were flung back to their original positions after a fierce four-day battle, the radio added. It is reported from Kuibishev that Major-General Panfilov has been killed on the Moscow front, a week after his rifle division received the title of the Red Banner. ,