The Central Sector

Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 79, 30 September 1941, Page 7

The Central Sector

RESOLUTE STAND IN THE CRIMEA

LONDON, September 29.

The Russians report today a new big success for Marshal Timoshenko's forces in the central sector. The Tass agency refers to a battle having been fought at Bryansk, 140 miles s&uth-east of Smolensk.

Bryansk was prematurely claimed by the Germans earlier this month, but in fact no German troops had ever entered it, except as prisoners. The Tass news agency says that large German forces have not only been repulsed, but driven back in full retreat. They were commanded by a German general who is the organising genius of panzer divisions, and who had the job of turning the Maginot Line at Sedan last year. Twelve German divisions are reported in Moscow 'to have retreated in disorder, and the Russian troops are advancing1 through what is described as a vast cemetery of German panzer units. Two villages have been recaptured, and in one alone the enemy left 300 dead. The attack on the villages was opened by a terrific artillery bombardment. The Russians also report another success somewhere in the Ukraine, but the place is not named. It is said that the second and fourth brigades of Rumanian infantry were destroyed.

The Berlin radio admits that Russian forces on the southern front launched attacks in^irambers greatly superior to the Germans, although the Germans claimed, as usual, that the attacks were repulsed after severe tank fighting.

While the three-Power conference in Moscow was sitting, fierce fighting raged along the whole of the Russian front, and particularly in the approaches to the Crimea.

The Germans are obviously determined that the Crimea shall not remain, like Odessa, a thorn in the side of their rear in their drive along the Black Sea towards the Caucasus. They are believed to have concentrated an' enormous number of troops against the isthmus of Perekop, and Moscow and Berlin expect a new blitz to be opened soon.

Heavy1 air raids have already begun in this area, with German bombers persistently attacking road and rail communications running Jhrou^gh the Crimea. The Russians, however, are as resolute here as they have been for so many weeks at Leningrad. They seem to, be fully alive to the scale of the German preparations. They are leaving nothing to chance, and they say that they will be able to withstand the enemy's attack, whatever its scale. As the attack is a direct threat to the naval base of Sevastopol, it is said that the Russians have already completed preparations for the transformation of

two other Black Sea ports into large naval bases. These are Novorossisk, east of the Crimea, and Batum, on the Caucasian shore. Thqf "Pravda" says that the Soviet Black Sea fleet has free access from two ports to open waters and can do all that is required of it in spite of the hundreds of mines that the enemy has sown in the sea. The Crimea is roughly three times the size of Crete, and has about 700,000 people. A large part consists of high, arid, prairie lands, but there are mountain ranges rising to 5000 feet. The peninsula has several important iron mines.

A Moscow communique gives an impressive account of guerrilla activities in the Pskov area, on one of the enemy's best lines of communication for his attack on Leningrad. During this month guerrilla units have made 12 raids on German motorised and supply columns, blown up 14 bridges, mined all the most important roads at 18 places, and destroyed armoured vehicles.

! The latest Moscow communique says that today the battle raged along the whole front. One hundred and fourteen German planes are known to have been destroyed 6n Friday (not 98 as previously reported). One hundred and fifty were destroyed on Saturday —37 in air battles and 113 on aerodromes. The Russians lost 28.