Many Perils Beset Nazis Retreating In Ukraine

Northern Advocate, 4 December 1941, Page 5

Many Perils Beset Nazis Retreating In Ukraine

LONDON, December 3.

The Germans are trying to rush up reinforcements to Mariupol, west of Taganrog, but they are in danger of being cut off. The retreating German troops under General von Kleist are menaced not only by the Russians in the immediate vicinity of Rostov, says the Samara correspondent of “The Times,” but they are even more threatened by the powerful thrust from the northeast, which still presents the possibility of entirely cutting off the remnants of von Kleist's three tank divisions, two motorised divisions and the Viking Division. General Schwoedler was protecting von Kleist’s left flank, but a sudden series of blows from the north-east has forced him back and smashed his four divisions, including a crack mountain corps. Thus von Rundstedt’s entire force in the south-eastern Ukraine is now in a dangerous position. Brauchitscli Takes Over According to a message from Stockholm, the Commander-in-Chief of the German Army (General von Brauchitsch) has flown from. Hitler's headquarters to the Ukraine with orders to halt Marshal Timoshenko's counteroffensive. The general war news from Russia is quite as encouraging as that of the past two days, says the Stockholm correspondent of “The Times.” The Germans are at least being held at Leningrad. The Moscow front is characterised by a certain amount of give and take in the northern half, without pronounced important changes, while the position in the southern half is developing to the advantage of the Russians. Extending Northwards

The incipient Russian counteroffensive in the Donetz area is already extending its scope northwards and apparently is favourably progressing to the west, while the southernmost push through Rostov has not yet spent its impetus. How far the Germans west of Rostov have retreated is not yet established, says this correspondent, but information indicates that the main body is retreating along the coast somewhere near Taganrog, while two smaller columns have struck northwest, partly to relieve the congestion along the coast and partly to help to intercept Marshal Timoshenko’s attack from the Kamenskaya region, which is aimed in a slanting direction towards the coast to cut or hamper the German retreat.

Russian field despatches say the Russians are steadily pursuing the enemy along the Rostov-Taganrog road, with the Germans fighting a terrific rearguard action. The Germans are striving to slow down the Russian advance to enable their reinforcements to reach Mariupol, where the Germans, it is believed, hope to make a stand behind hastily prepared “Russian style” defences. German pioneer troops are sowing vast minefields at the eastern approaches to Mariupol.

One Soviet force in the Rostov sector advanced 27 miles in three days, says a Russian report. “The rout of von Kleist’s army at Rostov puts an end to tales of the German army’s invincibility and bars the way to a further German advance,” stated the Soviet spokesman (M. Lozovsky). He added that the Germans’ second offensive against Moscow so far had lasted 15 days, but had resulted only in tremendous losses for the invaders.-