GERMANS CLAIM FALL OF ROSTOV

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 51, 24 November 1941, Page 7

GERMANS CLAIM FALL OF ROSTOV

(By Telegraph.—Press Aeen.—Copyright.) (Received November 23, 7.5 p.m.) LONDON, November. 22. The Moscow newspaper, “Pravda,” says the situation on the Moscow front is more serious than last month, and it will be necessary for the Russians still further to increase their strong resistance. TheGermans are attempting to take Moscow at all costs in order to escape the winter cold. The Russians are stronger than last month and must hold the enemy now and inflict such a blow that the enemy will be defeated. The German High Command claims the capture ofrßostov-on-Don after violent fighting. . “Red Star” says that in the new offensive against Rostov the Germans hurled in large forces, including a great number of vehicles, \ specially tanks. The defenders are fighting courageously, but are being forced to retreat under pressure of numerically superior forces. The Germans are sustaining heavy casualties, and in two days lost more than 50 tanks, large numbers of infantry and much artillery. The Stockholm newspaper “Svenskadagbladet’s” Berlin correspondent says the war in the east is gradually developing into a war of attrition, and the German military authorities are now engaged in working out details for an attack against the Caucasus. Troops are being specially trained for mountain warfare. . Losses in Russia are particularly heavy among German officers, savs the correspondent; Many members of historic families have fallen on the battlefields. The German forces on the Moscow front have been powerfully reinforced, particularly with artillery. The'German objective is still the encirclement of Moscow, but progress is dangerously slow in proportion to the losses.