RENEWED DRIVE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20621, 24 November 1941, Page 5

RENEWED DRIVE

GERMAN EFFORTS CAPTURE AT ALL COSTS FORCES HELD AT BAY i Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. Nov. 24, 10 a.m.) LONDON, Nov. 23. Sanguinary battles have been proceeding for three days on the distant approaches to Moscow, says the Moscow radio. The Russians are stubbornly holding the enemy. Thousands of German corpses and wrecked tanks and armoured units are scattered on fields and roads. “Despite the enormous losses in men and material the enemy is still trying to break through to Moscow,” proceeds the Moscow radio. The Germans possess tank superiority but are unable to pierce our defences in depth, although as the result of overwhelming pressure our troops at isolated points were obliged to leave fortified positions and fall back on pre-arranged positions where they are arranging counter-attacks. “Heavy fighting continues in the direction of Mojaisk, where the enemy brought into action four infantry divisions. Many tanks attempted to break through, but failed. The Germans in one point of the southern sector of the Moscow front threw in an entire infantry division and 40 tanks. Fighting continued throughout the night of November 20. The Russians counter-attacked next day and 1 hurled back the Germans.

“A vast machine-gun and minethrower battle is proceeding at the Kalinin sector, where the Germans have brough up large reinforcements. Russian artillery near Novgorod wiped out 4000 officers and men. After the capture of Novgorod the Germans were unable to advance an inch.”

Fortification System

The Tass agency says the erection of fortified defence lines around Moscow is nearing completion. A strong fortification system now bars the way to the capital. Thousands of women are engaged on the work. The Germans again broke through at some points on the Tula sector, but were halted.

The Moscow Tass agency reports that both sides are using cavalry on the Tula front. German cavalry which arrived with the latest batch of reinforcements have already participated in the fighting. The Germans are continually sending up reinforcements and throwing in more tanks. All German attempts to break through on the Leningrad front have failed, the enemy being thrown back everywhere. The Berlin correspondent of the Stockholm newspaper Svenskadagbladets says the war in the east is gradually developing into a war of attrition. The German military authorities are now engaged in working out details for an attack against the Caucasus. Troops are specially training for mountain warfare. Toll Among Nazi Officers ~

The losses in Russia have been particularly heavy among German officers. Many members of historic families have fallen on the battlefields.

The correspondent adds that the German forces on the Moscow front have been powerfully reinforced, particularly with artillery. The German objective is still the encirclement of Moscow, but the progress is dangerously slow in proportion to the losses 'She Soviet paper Pravda says the situation on the Moscow front is more serious than last month and it is necessary for the Russians to still further increase their strong resistance. The Germans 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. According to the Moscow radio the German forces engaged at the noproaches to Moscow are probably the largest ever used there. Concentrations of tanks and infantry opened an offensive on the Volokalamsk direction resulting in a 24-hour battle with the Germans constantly throwing in fresh forces. Russian tanks to new fortified lines on the highway, which the Germans are trying to use for the advance. Russian counterattacks checked the enemy.

Incessant Attacks

Important fighting occurred in the direction of Mojaisk throughout the night, with the Axis using four divisions. The enemy attacked incessantly, completely disregarding losses, which amounted to 20 tanks and half a battalion of infantry in one sector alone.

There has been no important development in the Maloyaroslavets area, but bitter street fighting in the Tula sector is reported. Soviet units counter-attacking met considerable German resistance at a railway station near Tula.

A Russian gun battery on the Leningrad front annihilated 800 Germans and destroyed six enemy forts. A unit operating on the southern front wiped out 2000 German “Vikings."

British tanks are now in action on the Ukraine front.

The Berlin radio yesterday announced that German infantry and artillery in conjunction took Russian positions southwards of Moscow, “thereby widening the breach in the Moscow defence lines.” Thirty-one thousand miles of railway of Russia’s total of 59,000 were now in German hands, and most of the remainder was exposed to attack by the Luftwaffe, added the Berlin radio. It is announced in Berlin that a German infantry officer, General von Briesen, has been killed on the Russian front.