INCREASING PRESSURE

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

INCREASING PRESSURE

TANKS AND INFANTRY HEROIC RESISTANCE (British Olficial Wireless.) Reed. 9 a.m. RUGBY, Nov. 22. Still more intense fighting is developing on sections of the eastern front before Moscow. The Germans increased the pressure on the Tula front on Thursday, says the Moscow radio, throwing great numbers of tanks into tile battle as well as motorised infantry. Especially fierce fighting took place south of Tula where the fighting is growing in intensity. At one place the Germans attacked with 30' tanks and lost 17 in two days of fighting and at another point they used 50 tanks. Despite the numerical superiority of the enemy the Russian units repulsed the attacks and the German losses are described as very heavy. The third and fourth German tank divisions are being used in the battle with the 167th infantry division and a “great German S.S. division.” , The situation here is described as serious. The Russian troops are offering heroic resistance in counterattacking the enemy and inflicting heavy losses in men and material. In the Mojaisk direction on Thursday the Germans concentrated attacks on the flanks of the Russian defence lines and threw in a great number of tanks and infantry. They attacked simultaneously at several points. Fierce fighting is still in progress. The Moscow radio in reporting on the fighting on Friday, stated that intensive fighting is still going on. “The enemy is bleeding, but is still attempting to break through to Moscow,” continued the Moscow radio. “In spite of their numerical superiority in tanks the Germans failed to break through the Soviet defence lines, but at several places the Soviet troops have retreated to newly-prepared defence positions and are strongly counter-attacking. In the Mojaisk sector the enemy threw into the battle four infantry divisions and a great number of tanks attempting to take the village of “L”, but artillery repulsed their attacks. “On the southern part of the central front in spite of several attempts to push forward the enemy failed to advance and in the Maloyaroslavets sector enemy attacks were also repulsed. The Pravda refers in an article to the central front where the position is considered to have become more serious. The paper states: — “The enemy is developing his advance in some sectors of the front without considering losses and the situation has become more serious than it was in October.”

The article adds that the enemy is bearing the severe cold and is attempting at all to take Moscow.