VITAL CENTRAL FRONT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 14 October 1941, Page 6

VITAL CENTRAL FRONT

GENERAL POSITION BETTER RED ARMY FIGHTING HARD | (Rec. 12.15p.m.) London, Oct. 13. .After a week of painful public anxiety to-day's news from 'Russia and neutral "observation posts" seems to justify a slightly more encouraging assessment of the position on the Eastern Front, where, however, the Soviet forces are still subjected to an unprecedented ordeal and gravest developments can always be expected. The Stockholm correspondent of Ihe Times points out that 'no part of the Russian front has shifted much since yesterday. Ihe 'sole noteworthy changes were the Russian withdrawal*from Bryansk and a slight improvement in the Russian position between Tula |and Orel. That the Russians managed so soon, even if only temporarily, to check the progress of the German claw extended through Orel, means much because without continued German progress in this area there cannot be anything like a general development. The Stockholm correspondent adds that the general position on the central front appears distinctly improved since Friday and instead of talking about the envelopment of Marshal Timoshenko s i main armies the Germans’ chief emphasis is now on the alleged large pockets in the Bryansk and V iazma districts and also that a ' large number of prisoners were taken. Whether the Bryansk pocket really exists cannot be said, but the Viazma pocket appears a fact.

The Russian statement that their i forces at Viazma are not undergoing I i “rapid annihilation.” which the Germans boasted last week, but are fight- j ! ing hard and successfully, appears to j ! be confirmed from Berlin, where military circles are now giving a warning i against expecting a lightning liquida- : non. They explained that Viazma i town is a stronghold which the Rus- ! sians inside may defend for some time. | although Viazma is no longer a factor in Moscow’s defence, j The same circles, when dwelling on ; the large number of prisoners, appar- ! ently inadvertently digressed by ex- ! plaining that the prisoners included numerous motley labour units, thus bearina i out the assumption previously express--Icd regarding German captures that even if the number given is correct the prisoners include many rounded-up elements not belonging to the Russian army. EVACUATION OF* VIAZMA The region between the Leningrad district and the German left wing operating against Moscow has been unusually and perhaps ominously quiet lately. Observers at Stockholm say that each side appears to be preparing operations against the other's Moscow . flank. The correspondent of “The Times” on ; the German frontier says Marshal j Voroshilov by defending Leningrad with offensive tactics effectively pinned j down General von Leeb's forces, whose ( advance against Moscow was an in- j tegral part of the Germans’ plan for attacking the capital. The same correspondent emphasises that the Germans find Moscow as tough as Leningrad and Odessa. Moscow's defences consist of a deep ; 1 scries of concentric fortbelts. not rigid I ; like the Maginot Line, but rather chains; I of strongly defended islets connected by j a system of trenches excellently camou- ; flaged. Lorries are everywhere ready j ' to rush men and munitions from one | section of the defences to another. If i Moscow is evacuated the heavy guns i j can be loaded on tp lorries and taken J ; away. All the important archives of i the chief administrative bodies in Mos- ! cow were sent to Sverdlovsk and elsej wheie last week. It was officially announced at Moscow , to-night that Viazma was evacuated. I A German communique states: “Op--1 orations on the Eastern Front are pro- j reeding according to plan. The des:t* uction of the forces encircled at,, Viazma is approaching conclusion. We , repelled many enemy attempts to break cut from Leningrad.” It is announced from Hitler’s headquarters that prisoners in the double • V>attle of Brj*ansk and Viazma now < number 350.000 and are still increasing. : The “Pravda’s” war correspondent ' states that the Soviet air force in the ! : past week in the direction of Viazma destroyed 96 enemy planes in air combats and dive-bombers destroyed 205 | tanks, 605 lorries and silenced 16 bat- , j teries. —U.P.A. ONLY MATTER OF TIME 11 | 1 DEFEAT OF RUSSIA « VIEW OF JAPANESE PRESS * :• I (Rec. 2.0 p.m.) London, Oct. 13. !| While Japanese divisions mass near j Russia’s eastern frontier Tokio news- j = papers are talking of the spoils to be j got if Russia collapses. “Kokumin” says the defeat of Russia is only a matter , of time and Japan must be vigilant and must not be left behind in the inter- j. national field.—U.P.A. r