RUSSIAN REPORTS

Grey River Argus, 14 October 1941, Page 5

RUSSIAN REPORTS

Great Enemy Losses

NO GREAT GAINS 1 • LONDON, October 12. The Soviet mid-day war communique on Saturday .indicated that no major German advances have been made in the central sector during the past four days. The communique is similar to that issued an noon on Wednesday, and stated: During last night, our troops engaged m Ighting with the enemy along the entire front. Particularly heavy fighting, took place in the Viazma and Bryansk directions. Russian tank units threw the Germans from the town “M” and drove them back several miles in the Viazma area, and the German drive north’ vzards’ from Orel has been checked, says a Moscow message. A Moscow official report stated: On October 11 our forces engaged the enemy alone' the entire front, fighting being particularly severe in the coy <>..l sector, where fierce resistance inflicted heavy losses on the enemy. According to incomplete reports 72 German tanks, 220 truck loads of troops and ammunition, 4± guns and many machine-guns were demolished The Germans lost not less than 9000 officers and men, killed and injured. On one single aerodrome in this sector, at least 65 German planes of various types were destroyed. Severe fighting continued during the whole day in the south-west direction of the front. In heavy attacks, Germans forces attempted to break throufh our lines, but assaults were stemmed with heavy losses for them. Our Air Force destroyed one hundred trucks, with German infantry, 150 lorries with ammunition 15 guns and a column of mobile petrol tanks.”

A supplementary Russian communique states: In one sector of the central front, our troops operating against big enemy units, inflicted heavy loss on the enemy. During a four-day battle, 4000 enemy troops were killed or wounded. Eighty enemy tanks were destroyed. In one sector of the north-west front, the enemy tried to break through our lines of defence, and threw into the battle three regiments. In fierce fighting 2200 enemy officers and men were killed. Uncompleted figures show our troops captured six guns. 30 machine-guns, five anti-tank guns and a large quantity of rifles and ammunition. Artillery and our Baltic Navy destroyed two long range guns of different calibre and three mortar batteries. A Russian communique stated: “Partisan warfare inflicts heavy losses on the enemy. A partisan group operating in one sector of the north-west front destroyed during two months 19 motor-cars, lorries with ammunition, 15 lorries with foodstuffs, four light cars and 14 motor-cycles. The partisans blew up 12 bridges and repeatedly machinegunned enemy infantry from forests. These partisans killed more than 60U German soldiers and officers a short time ago. Members of this group organised a trap near a road. When a German motorised column appeared the partisans blew up the first car. The enemy column was forced to h. standstill and the partisans then attacked, and 10 enemy cars were destroyed The partisans thereupon disappeared in the forest. Some other members of this group successfully attacked an enemy column of. motorcycles, accompanied by an armoured car. The armoured car and several motor-cycles were destroyed and the remainder of the enemy fled, A writer in the “Red Star’’ says:— The mvth of German invincibility was exploded when the Reichswher was halted at Smolensk, routed at Elnya and checked at Leningrad and Odessa “Let us take an oath to smash the invader.”

Referring to the military situation the “Red Star” says: A battle of unequalled ferocity has developed due west of Moscow, in the direction ot Vyazma, the most vital sector on the central front. The Reichswehr drove a wedge deep into, the defence lines, throwing in 'enormous numbers of infantry, tanks, artillery and aircraft. The battlefield is strewn with corpses and crippled tanks and arms but the situation is grave and the danger is great. The enemy forces are driving forward In spite of enormous losses the Germans continue to have numerical superiority in that sector.

Latest Russian Report

ENEMY'S ADVANCES.

AT GREAT COST.

(Rec. 1.50). RUGBY, October 13. The Russian communique on Sunday night states: Our troops on Sunda'v were engaged in fighting in the directions of Viazma and Bryansk. After heavy fighting, whicn had lasted for several days, our troops withdrew from Bryansk. A supplementary Rusisan communique gives details as to the savage, desperate nature of fighting in the Nazis’ supreme effort to reach some decision before the winter. It states: “Fighting on the central front is growing in intensity. The German High Command is persistently throwing In new units. In some sectors the Germans have achieved a supenoritv In numbers. They are paying the price in huge losses of men and material. The Germans have succeeded in advancing and m pushing wedges into our line of defence. Our troops offer a stubborn resistance to the Germans’ desperate attacks. —

“On Sunday, in intensive fighting, uncompleted figures show that our troops destroved 90 German tanks, 270 lorries with infantry and ammunition, 62 guns of different calibre, and' a large number of heavy and light machine-guns. During this day the Germans lost more tnan 12,000 officers and men In killed or wounded? One tank unit, covering infantry oneratlons. fought a battle with a German tank unit, and inflicted heavy losses on the enemy In this fighting, our tanks destroyed 14 German tanks, six anti-tank guns, 15 machine-guns, eight mortars, and four companies of infantry.'*

PANZERS NEARER MOSCOW. BUT ISOLATED BY RUSSIANS. (Rec. 8.45). LONDON October 13. Some German tank units are reported to be now at least 45 miles east of Viazma. Other panzer forces have apparently reached Tula, and Kaluga, due south of Moscow. Russian forces. lioweve*<<nave isolated these German forces, also beating back sunnortine- infantry. A thrust against Moscow from the couth is meeting with stubborn resistance just northward of Matsensk. GERMANS REPULSED AT VIAZMA

(Rec. 8.45). LONDON. October 1".Rnssian forces, under Genera! Goldin, recantured Viazma south • -vest of Mo°cov'. a terrific 'l2hour tank battle. German ivere driven bf’ck several m’ l '-*-. The Gormans’ week-end Mcses here are estimated at .over 5000 men, and r -hund.cd tanks.