RELIEF OF LENINGRAD

Evening Star, Issue 24081, 30 December 1941, Page 3

RELIEF OF LENINGRAD

RUSSIAN PRESSURE TELLING NAZIS LOSE FORWARD POSITIONS LONDON, December 28. The Stockholm correspondent of ‘ The Times ’ says the besiegers of Leningrad still hold essential points, but forward positions are being lost every day. the right half of the forces is leaving Shlusselburg, and the halt embracing Leningrad now appears likely to give way any day as the Russians press near the shore of Lake Ladoga and along the Moscow-Leningrad railway, while the Leningrad garrison hammers on from within. , The Germans are being severely harrassed on the Moscow front, but _ are fighting stubborn rearguard actions covering the withdrawal in an effort to escape pinching by the Russian prongs, which are relentlessly closing in from the Kaluga and Rjcv regions. The pincer points are still 100 miles aP ai 't, and as the going is hard it is unlikely that tho Russians will bo able to pocket the main part of General von Bock s army, but a large proportion is already doomed. Enormous quantities of equipment arc inextricably frozen in, and thousands of German bodies are buried under snow.

RUSSIA AND BRITAIN INCREASING MILITARY COLLABORATION (Rec. 1 p.m.) LONDON, Dec. 29. Increasing military collaboration will result from the discussions held at Moscow between the mission led by Mr Eden and members of the Soviet Government. However, well-informed circles believe that there is no immediate prospect of an attempt to create a second European front. Probably the greater number of British technical experts will be used with the Russian armies, for it is realised that both sides have much technical knowledge to exchange. Britain will continue to supply war materials _to Russia on the same scale as promised before the outbreak of the Pacific war. Beyond that, however, Britain cannot go, as Mr Eden frankly explained to M. Stalin, who thoroughly understood, the situation.

According to well-informed circles, apart from increased military co-opera-tion, steps are likely to be taken to produce an instrument defining the terms on which Europe will be reconstructed after the war on lines similar to those of the Atlantic Charter. The parties to the conversations believe the United States will share with them the main burden of solving peace problems. Mr Eden did not appear publicly, even at semi-official functions, his six conferences with M. Stalin and M. MolOtov culminating in the famed Kremlin banquet, which lasted until 5 a.m., and was held in an unprecedented hush-hush atmosphere. Mr Eden is reported to have said he was deeply impressed by the confidence of the Soviet leaders. They were convinced that they have the situation in hand. Their confidence was not of the careless brand, but of a type shown by men who are sure of themselves. MR EDEN IN RUSSIA EVIDENCE Of GERMANS' FLIGHT (Rec. 8 a.m.) LONDON, Dec. 29. Mr Anthony Eden visited the Russian front between Klin and Kalinin, and saw evidence of the enemy’s flight. He spoke to several German prisoners, and noted their youth and poor clothes.

MOSCOW FACTORIES WORKERS UNDAUNTED BY RAIDS (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, December 28. One of Moscow’s groat industrial plants which supplies the front with arms and munitions while another part of it, recently removed, proceeds with production in" the rear of the armies, is described by a news agency correspondent. In Moscow shops have oeen producing automatic rifles, trench mortars, and shells since the outbreak or the war without interruption in spite ot air raids and the battle at the approaches to the capital. The Russian automatic rifle is claimed by the diet engineer to be better than its German counterpart. It weighs 6£lb and holds 71 bullets The Germans tried to reduce the plant to ashes by dropping thousands ot incendiary bombs every night during the worst raids, but the precautions were perfect, and the workers, who are splendidly trained and unafraid, collected a whole arsenal ot “ duds ” and bombs which were rendered harmless. A largo number ot women are working in this factory. A system of 25 hours of work, followed by 48 hours of rest, was introduced because of frequent alerts, but it will be replaced at the New Year by a regular eight-hour day.