GERMAN OFFENSIVE

Grey River Argus, 8 October 1941, Page 5

GERMAN OFFENSIVE

ALONG WHOLE FRONT Moscow Threatened LONDON EXCITEMENT. [Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] LONDON, October 6. Tremendous public interest tonight centres in the progress of the latest German offensive. It is reported to be proceeding alon .S whole front, with the exception oi the Leningrad area. R . rlin Swedish correspondents in Berlin describe the weight of the Luftwatte attacks preceding the new offensive as enormous. , Berlin claims that these attacks produced complete chaos m Russian communications behind the line. The “Times” military writer tonight declares that the offensive aimed at Moscow has made considerab progress, despite strong Russian S ' S The Germans seem to be P u ttbifS everything they have into tneir latest desperate offensive a S ai H® the Russians. This is probably the development mentioned by Hitler m his speech on Friday. The offensive affects the entire front with the pos sible exception of Leningrad, whe the pressure has slackened slightly. Moscow is identified with the core of Russia’s spiritual and administrative, resistance. Therefore . observers tend to concentrate attention on a Ge man two-pronged mo y, I the Soviet capital. Many , believe that Hitler has now commit ( ted himself to do or die on t ■ road to Moscow. The Russians show n 0 signs of dismay at the great oideal immediately They are confident Hitler s sledgehammer will crack on Timoshenkoan The Moscow radio said: “There are fresh disagreements between German generals themselves. The Ge man High Command’s ongnial plan did not provide for a winter campaign. During the latest conference at Hitler’s headquarters, when preparations were considered for a win ter campaign, Marshal List and an other General pointed out the Ger-1 man armies’ longer communications. ™ ?he East, together with guerrilla! warfare, made it risky to launch any further offensives or operations byindividual formations isolated from the main body of the army - eral Guderian supported thein. Ihey ( foretold the failure of the ir General, Staff’s new plan, unless the army ( consolidated its position in the occu . pied area. Marshal Goering was not, •present, the official reason being ill—, ' Moscow radio says a message I from Stockholm reported that a number of German generals demanded that Hitler should forbid Himmler from interfering in army mattelThe greatest possible number of German bombers is diverted to co-operate with Hitler’s troops by bombing down Timoshenkos resistance, which the Germans represent as the sole obstacle between Hitler and victory before winter. I The “Times” Stockholm correspon-, dent says the Russians have no illusions about the tremendous weight of the offensive, wherewith Hitler has identified his personal reputation; as a leader more closely than with anv particular previous offensive The German spokesman in Berlin declared that.the German armies this time will carry Moscow in an irrestible rush, perhaps lasting weeks, but without retreats, halts, or slackening, until the swastika is hoistea over the Kremlin. . In addition to the move against Moscow, the Germans apparently are also endeavouring to smash towards important objectives in other sectors. It is even reported that the slackening off in the attack against Leningrad may only be relative, because the latest Soviet dispatches described fierce fighting on the approaches to that city. , . .. . The southern movement in the pincer action against Moscow, is appatently based on Roslavl, and it is unquestionably the stronger of the two movements, while the northern pincer arm is being pushed from the area south of the Valdai Hills. The Germans are also directing a heavy attack towards Kharkov Tae Russians are everywhere stubbornly defending every inch of ground. A German communique states, Oifensive operations on the Eastern Front brought fresh successes yesBerlin radio declared: “The new offensive is the greatest in history, and is backed by the bulk oi the Luftwaffe.” . It added: “The preparations for the offensive were so big, they could not be hidden from the enemy. The attack is n rogressing on the whole central front, where innumerable guns of all calibres are in action. Our reconnaissance nlanes report that the enemy positions are strongly defended.” . Informed quarters in London state it appears that an especially strong, drive is being made in a northerly direction from Roslavl, and while emphasising the stubbornness of the Soviet armies’ resistance, state tnat the German army is making some progress along the whole line. In the Ukraine, the German attack is being pressed strongly against the industrial town of Kharkov. The Germans are facing a counter-offen-sive by Marshal Budenny, and it is j considered in London that the position in this sector might become critical for the enemy. Except in l the Leningrad area, the German attack is being very heavily pressed along the entire length of the front, especially in the central sector. Operations here are directed towards Moscow from both north and south. Information reaching London indicates that along the whole line the German offensive is being very stubsituation in the Ukraine is still fluid There is no news of Marshal von -Rundstedt’g, thrust towards Kursk, which is apparently aimed at turnin* the flanks off Marshal Timoshenko’s and Marshal Budenny s armies and threatening Moscow. Marshal Budenny is reported still to be continuing his counter-attack against the flank of the German S? (attacking the Crimean Isthma' German admission of stubborn fighting in the region of Perekop on the Crimean Isthmus, suggests that wlrshS Budenny's force.; are st, 1 •firmlv astride the road to the uri mea’ Dispatches reaching Moscow fist night said that the Russian line " Moscow correspondent says that Budenny succeeded in regrouping and reinforcing the Red frS in the Ukraine, as the result whereof the German thrust against the Crimea is not succeeding, while the drive against Kharkov is definitely held up. The correspondent declares the situation in the Ukraine during the past fortnight was very confused but is now considerably improved in the dangerous southern sector, and may be regarded as well 111 “The* 3 Times” German frontier correspondent, however, states the German forces appear to have advanced somewhat towards Kharkov and are now unpleasantly close to Roumanian quarters at Istanbul, the Russians made a surprise sortie from Odessa, in torpedo boats, and landed several miles eastwards of Odessa and inflicted

2000 casualties before they successfully withdrew. 4 , The Associated Press .Ankara correspondent says there are indications that Germany is ready to launch the long-prepared naval operation from Bulgaria, circles declare that Varna and Burgas are beehives of activity. Four thousand German sailors are controlling tne P °A S ’Budapest newspaper announced the execution of seven Soviet parachutists who landed on the Roumanian oilfields near Ploesti. They were alleged to be wearing civilian clothes, and consequently were not regarded as prisoners of war. A Soviet communique issued on Monday at mid-day states that during the night their troops were engaged along the entire front. Sunday night’s Russian communique says: “Our troops to-dav engaged( in fighting along the entire front. On October 3, 41 German aeroplanes were destroyed. We lost 18. Two German aeroplanes were brought down near Moscow, to-day. Round Leningrad, reports Moscow, all German attacks have been defeated with heavy losses. In a three-day battle on the approaches to the city, massed German guns, infantry, and tanks were smashed by Russian artillery. The Germans launched dive-bomb-ers, which temporarily silenced the artillery, and the Germans attacked. They were thrown back, but attacked again and again. On the fourth day, after Russian bombers had taken a hand, the fighting ceased when the Germans were driven back, exhausted. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent deciares that despite the enormous German troop concentrations in the Leningrad area, the Russians believe the city is no longer under immediate threat of capture. Communications are maintained with Leningrad bv road and rail, and Leningrad’s industries are still carrying on despite considerable difficulties. The Red Fleet in the Baltic is also in no immediate danger. The Russians point out that unless the Germans unexpectedly score an enormous success, they will be faced with the task of keeping perhaps a million men under inclement conditions in tne Leningrad sector, with supply problems daily becoming increasingly difficult. German intimations that they don't intend to bomb Leningrad into ruins and surrender, may be taken to signify the German High Command is reconciled with the idea that Leningrad must wait. The Stockholm correspondent of “The Times’ declares that Detskoe 'Selo, which the Germans claimed to have taken, is still in Russian hands. It is 15 miles south of Leningrad. There are no signs, he adds, that the Germans have regained the initiative , round Leningrad. On the contrary, I the Russians are believed to be widi ening the gap in the German ring i through which they are making conitact with outside forces. The maintenance of this gap, the correspondlent declares, would seriously jeopard" !ise a German force isolated towards ■ Schluesselburg, 25 miles west of the city.

The Tass (Russian) Agency re--1 ported from Leningrad, to-day, that I the Nazis are making huge sacrifices 'of men and heavy equipment in attempts to smash Leningrad’s defence line. These attempts were repeated|ly repulsed. A German communique says: The Germans repulsed landing attempts I east of Leningrad by strong Soviet , forces, supported by the Kronstadt batteries and coastal artillery. Simultaneously, a violent attempt from within to hreak through the encirclei ment collapsed. The enemy suffer:ed heavy bloody losses. Russian reports say that industrial centres in the Urals, far '•out of reach of German air attack, are rapidly increasing their production. Blast furnaces have increased their output 600 per cent., and production of iron and steel surpasses all previous records. News of Battle Awaited RUSSIANS REPORT BIG ENEMY LOSSES. (Rec. 1.4). LONDON, October 7. Neither side in the mighty new Russian-German battle has yet reported progress. The Moscow “Pravda” to-day mentions, however a success which, judging from details given, appears to be connected with tins battle, though the location of it, tantalisingly, is withheld. “Pravda” is -au.oted bv the Moscow radio as reporting the rout of a German tank division, an anti-tank brigade, and an anti-aircraft regiment, with the loss of five thousand five hundred killed, one hundred tanks and 250 motor-cycles, 20 trench mortars, fifteen light tanks, and lorries destroyed or captured. It adds that this defeat was inflicted after five days’ heavy fighting. “Pravda” does not mention any wounded or prisoners, but the large number reported as killed suggests a heavy total of German losses.- “Pravda’s” war correspondent on the South-western front states: “Soviet cavalry in one sector, working with tanks and bombers, killed many hunared offimers and men near a certain village.” It adds: “The enemy’s 25th Motorised Division and 9th. Tank Dision suffered heavy losses. The Russians captured about 400 lorries and 100 guns, and destroyed 15 tanks and 51 anti-tank guns. ENEMY CLAIM IN NORTH(Rec. 1.45). LONDON, October 7. The Helsinki radio claims that | German forces have already taken Peterhof and have defeated a Rus- | sian attempt to land there from the Gulf of Finland. SOVIET REPORTS. (Rec. 1145) RUGBY, October 7A Soviet communique on Mondav night stated: During Monday our troops engaged the enemy in stua " born fighting along the whole front. During Saturday 53 enemy aircraiwere shot down and ten destroyed on aerodromes, a' total of 63 destroyed. We lost 25. A German transport was sunk in Barents Sea. A supplementary Soviet communi • que gives details of fighting in the central sector. It says: A: tank uni-: inflicted heavy losses on a German tank column. Thirty-four enemy tanks were destroyed, 22 by direct hits with bembs from co-operating aircraft, and the remainder by Russian tanks. Another large enemy tank unit is reported to have been routed in the south-west front on Sunday by Red bombers. Sixty-four German tanks, 113 motor vehicles, 12 guns and two oil tanks were destroyed.