MOSCOW DEFENCES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20601, 31 October 1941, Page 5

MOSCOW DEFENCES

CONFIDENT TONE CHECK TO PANZERS INVADERS IN SNOW [Elec. Tel. Coi>yri|<ht— United Press Assn.) (Reed. Oct. 31, 11 a.m.) LONDON, Oct. 30. A communique issued to-day in Moscow states: “Our forces during the night continued fighting in the Volokalamsk, Mojaisk and Maloyaroslavets directions.” The Moscow paper Pravda states that the Russian forces on Wednesday advanced five miles along the Mojaisk highway. A supplement to this morning’s Soviet communique states: “A Soviet unit operating in a sector of the Volokalamsk front destroyed in lour days of battle 27 German tanks, 18 armoured cars and 120 supply lorries, ana killed more than 900 enemy soldiers and officers. One group of Soviet planes operating on the southwestern front successfully attacked a large enemy motorised column, destroying 120 lorries and wiping out about two enemy infantry battalions.” A supplement also deals with the heroic fight of partisans in the Gomel district, some 200 miles behind the present front. A further report from Kuibyshev gives news of the fighting in Kalinin. For 13 days this strategicallyimportant town north-west of Moscow has been contested between the German and Russian troops, and the report states that violent street fighting continues. According to the Pravda, the Germans brought up a complete army corps, with tanks, artillery, trench mortars and aircraft, but the Russians are not only holding their own but are counter-attacking, especially in one suburb where the enemy captured a concrete defence structure and grain elevator. Germans Unsuccessful

Quoting a special dispatch from the Moscow front, the Moscow radio to-day stated that the German offensive aimed at Mojaisk and Maloyaroslavets had been unsuccessful. “In the past five days the enemy advanced somewhat, but the advance was not comparable in speed with that of any five days since the beginning of the October offensive,” stated the Moscow radio. “Our troops almost everywhere are counterattacking. Important battles are occurring in localities N and D. Russian troops have already captured the outskirts of these points and have consolidated the positions.” Tile Moscow announcer added: “Our armies on the western front are ready for the new German thrust to Moscow. The strength of the enemy is still great, but the task will daily become more difficult. The Red Army is wearing him down at the approaches to Moscow. Every day strengthens the conviction that this great fight will be won by us.” The Stockholm correspondent of the Daily Express, in a dispatch forwarded last evening, said that blinding snow sweeping in easterly gales across the Moscow front nad slowed down the Panzer forces to a crawl. Drivers trying to push straight into the blizzard found visibility reduced to a yard. Temperatures were as low as 27 degrees. Floundering in Snow-Drifts

“The German infantry, who had been promised .winter quarters in Moscow if they won the ‘final battle,’ are now floundering deep in snowdrifts," stated the correspondent. He adds that Russian counterattacks on the central sector were being carried out by “flying divisions” of picked Storm Troops who were closely collaborating with armoured trains, of which at least 30 were operating. These carried not only troops, but heavy guns and also a great number of anti-aircraft guns. A Moscow radio message of to-day in reference to Rostov says that for several days crack S.S. divisions have been on the same spot, but the Soviet units are gradually strengthenning their positions and have in the past two days by counter-attacks recaptured several points at the approaches to the city. These points passed from the offensive to the defensive and tanks have been placed for use as fortified positions. A new heavy battle can be expected. The defenders of Rostov prefer to die rather than surrender their > beloved city.

Heavy Losses Inflicted Last night’s reports stated that if the Germans were still advancing in some sectors of the southern fronts, their progress appeared nowhere to be considerable, except perhaps in the Crimea

The Moscow radio last night admitted that the Germans in the Orel region had advanced a little towards Tula. The Germans began this drive seven days previously, but suffered heavy losses. The Red Army defeated the first attempts by the Germans to smash their way to Tula, but after receiving reinforcements the (invaders resumed the offensive, compelling the Soviet units to fall back to new positions. Fierce fighting continued yesterday in the approaches to Rostov, where fortifications were being erected around the town also in the streets. After one engagement the bodies of 500 Germans remained on the battlefield. The Germans are doing their utmost to advance eastwards of Makeevka. They made a breach in the Soviet defences, but the Red Army units, fighting with great stubbornness, prevented the enemy developing the success. Nazi Tanks Smashed

The Moscow radio iast night emphasised that the fighting in the Kharkov region was as fierce as ever with the Germans using a large number of tanks. German tanks which forced their way into Kharkov were practically all smashed by the Soviet artillery. The Moscow radio admitted that Soviet units in some parts of this front retired to new positions and also that the enemy in the battle for the Crimea succeeded in getting a “foothold’ ’in the Soviet defences. The Tass agency stated last night that in the German onslaughts on a Kharkov suburb, the enemy suffered 3500 casualties in one day. Other Soviet sources last night declared that 5000 Germans had so far been killed on the approaches to Kalinin, including the commander of the 36ch mechanised division. The Germans were forced to bring up reinforcements, the majority of whom were Rumanians and Hungarians.