German Difficulties With Weather and Communications

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 266, 8 November 1941, Page 7

German Difficulties With Weather and Communications

Moscow Front Still Holds Firm United Press Assn.—©y Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. \ Revived Friday, 9.5 p.m. LONDON, Nov. 7. The latest news ccaifirms the impression of the last few days that the whole Russian front between Kursk and the Baltic Sea is in a sort of deadlock, while below Kursk to the Black Sea. Including the Crimea, mobility has greatly slowed down since the end of October, say* the Times’ Stockholm correspondent. This is partly due to winter and the insufficient adaptation of the German offensive vehicles to the new conditions, but much more to the lengthening of the Herman communications, also their inability sufficiently to develop their reorganised supply lines, for which reason the recent attempts against Moscow have been more like short heavy strokes than the general offensive which formerly surged ahead with apparently limitless supplies in the immediate rear. The Russians have not experienced a similar communication problem, therefore despite their losses they have been able to resist as stubbornly as previously. The Germans have i-ecently shown a tendency to represent each new frantic hammering as a new offensive whereas it appears really to be a resumption as supplies arrive of the offensive, the initial stages of which coincide with Hitler’s speech and Dietrich’s announcement last month that the war with Russia was virtually over. Reports from various sectors of the Russian front show that real winter has started with heavy snowdrifts at many points. The Times’ correspondent at Stockholm reports that the Germans are certainly trying to prepare another irresistible series of blows for which reason they are willing to afford the Russians some local successes if necessary just as they previously did at Yelnia and elsewhere, knowing that these successes will avail little if the German attacks now under preparation,reach expectations. Therefore the Russian successes on the routes to Moscow, although remarkable and noteworthy, should not engender undue hopes as the tide has not definitely turned. Nevertheless, the period may be approaching when sheer exhaustion puts an end to German ambitions around Moscow. The Vichy radio said civilians were being evacuated from Sebastopol and a Helsinki report states that the Russians have partially evacuated Hanko. No German progress is reported in the latest attack on the Moscow front, which is apparently still held on the approximate line Kaliuin-Volokalamsk-Mojaisk-Malo Yaroslavets-Tula. Successful Russian counter-at lacks are reported in the vicinity of Volokalamsk where some Russian progress has apparently been made. Further air successes against the German ground forces are reported in a supplementary midnight Russian communique, which states: “On Wednesday our air force destroyed 40 enemy tanks, 350 lorries with infantry, ammunition, 13 petrol tanks; 10 guns and 130 supply vehicles and blew up three ammunition dumps and one ammunition train. Moreover, the air force annihilated a regiment of German infantry. During October our air force operating in the southern sector killed more than 12,000 men and destroyed about 300 tanks, 2500 lorries containing infantry and army supplies, a large number of other vehicles and about 100 guns.” The abominable behaviour of the Germans in the Baltic States in depriving the Baltics of all vestige of independence and seizing all property which the Russians took away from private owners has caused the Latvian battalions in the German army to become untrustworthy, says the Times’ Stockholm correspondent. German executioners in the Baltic countries are busy with public executions. They hanged one man at the entrance to Vilna Cathedral. Terrorism has dried up the Baltic countries as a source of reserves. German Detector System for Spotting Artillery