GRAVE SITUATION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 24 October 1941, Page 5

GRAVE SITUATION

BATTLE FOR MOSCOW Outer Defences Claimed Pierced MARSHAL TIMOSHENKO REPLACED Bitter Fighting in Crimea

(Rec. 9.25 a.m.) London, Ocl. 23. The Exchange Telegraph Agency’s Kuibyshev correspondent says the gravest situation has developed in the direction of Malo-Yaroslavetz, where the Germans, continually reinforced, are showing no signs of relaxing the pressure. The Russians are also bringing up reserves and are periodically counter-attacking, fighting day and night. It is reported that great battles are raging at the approaches to the Crimea. Red Army units were compelled to give some ground when the full weight of the German offensive was experienced, but they are now striking back hard against the enemy. Moscow radio admits that the situation is very tense round the town of Stalin and there is bitter fighting in the Donetz Basin. Delayed United Press of America’s dispatches to New \ ork from Kuibyshev indicate that the Chief of Staff, General Khukov, has assumed command of the entire central front replacing Marshal 1 imohenko, in the first major shake-up of the High Command in the Russo-German war. It also revealed that the authorities in Moscow, acting under martial law, began shooting men accused of deserting civilian jobs in the face of the enemy. A Berlin communique claims that the outer defences of Moscow were broken through from the south and west and the German spearheads fought their way at some points to thirty-eight miles from Moscow, which was heavily bombed. Thes British United Press correspondent at Kuibyshev confirms that General Khukov has taken over from Marshal I imoshenko the command of the region, and adds that no new post for Marshal Timoshenko is announced. Russian sources in London say that they have heard nothing to suggest such a complete replacement, which is most unlikely'. FURIOUS ONSLAUGHTS BEATEN OFF (Rec. noon). London, Oct. 23. Further fierce fighting west of Moscow in the vicinity of Mojaisk and Malo-Yaroslavetz is reported by the Tass News Agency. Ihe Germans massed fresh units and attempted another break-through. Several furious onslaughts were beaten off w r ith heavy losses.

A Russian supplementary communique states: “The Soviet air force is con- 1 stantly inflicting heavy losses on the enemy. Soviet bombers and Stormoviks are carrying out attacks on enemy concentrations. Between 14th and 18th October a combined unit of bombers and Stormoviks destroyed 108 lorries, six petrol tanks. 50 motor cycles, and several guns and £.A. guns. During 2*' days’ operations on the south-wes-tern front units of our force destroyed 5C enemy planes. 150 tanks, TOO lorries, 15 armoured cars, two infantry battalions, some platoons of cavalry, and a rumber of whippet tanks, ma«hineguns and mortars. On the central fi'ont one of our units captured 85 motor cycles, 12 motor cars, including two staff cars, six A.A. guns, 10 machineguns and five mortars. — THE DONETZ BASIN As the Moscow’ battle enters its j fourth week to-day, with the Germans still making very slow progress, and while the critical onslaught against the Donetz Basin has also slowed dow’n, the enemy has opened a big offensive aimed at the heart of the Crimea. Messages quoted by Moscow radio described the opening of this offensive with an enormous enemy artillery bombardment, and then the dropping of hundreds of high-explosive bombs by scores of German planes. Alter this German and Rumanian units made a fierce attack on the isthmus, forcing the Russians to give ground. After a second attack, however, the enemy had to withdraw to their original positions. Marshal Budenny’s forces are struggling heroically to prevent the whole oi the Donetz Basin from falling into German hands. “The Times” Stockholm correspondent says that the Russians self-consolingly emphasise the great role this area has already played in the war by working for over three months practically undisturbed. The industries in the area occupied will be of little immediate benefit to the Germans, while the more distant parts are still busy for the Russians, who destroy only as the Germans advance. In spite of the ever-increasing ruthlessness of the German offensives and the numerical superiority of the German forces Marshal Timoshenko’s army is still formidable, still manoeuvrable, and still intact, says the correspondent of “The Times” on the German frontier. Moreover , the German armies are still at no point nearer to the heart of Moscow than 40 miles. A writer in the Moscow “Izvestia” says that the roads leading westward from the capital are enveloped in a heavy coat of fog. In the half-light thousands of men and women, workers and students, spent the short October day building fortifications in the heavy clay, and stern-faced reinforcements march continuously out of the city with spades on their shoulders. Moscow messages emphasise that the Germans ii\ the southern and central sectors hold numerical superiority in tanks, and the Russian soldiers have been urged to destroy enemy tanks at all costs. Russian workers are also urged to redouble their efforts to increase the output of supplies. Round the Leningrad front it appears that the Germans are on the defensive as far south as Novgorod and Lake Ilmen. DEFENCES BEYOND MOSCOW A message to Ankara from Kuiby- \ shev, where some of the Soviet leaders ! are stationed, says that Marshal Timo- ! sbenko is reported to have brought up 1 vast new reinforcements on a line east of Moscow which will confront the Germans if they succeed in piercing or by-passing Moscow’s defences. Preparations for defence in depth throughout the winter are also going on behind the battlefront. GERMANS' ALLIED ARMIES The military correspondent of “The Tunes” estimates that approximately 45 divisions (over 750,000 troops) from subject races are co-operating with the Germans in the eastern campaign. This is a powerful reinforcement for the Germans, even though there is no great enthusiasm for the war among some of the contingents.—B O.W. and U.P.A.

! the railway service, as a result of the Russian campaign. The conquest of the large area of western Russia has necessitated the sending of many German railway personnel to the east. A considerable force of labourers has been required for alteration of the gauge of the Russian railways, which it is clear the Germans are undertaking as rapidly as possible. The widespread destruction by the retreating Russians of railway lines and stock has also required considerable work in repairing the damage. GERMAN WOMEN EMPLOYEES Labourers have been taken from most of the occupied territories as well as from western Germany, to undertake this work, with the result that ! the railway systems in these occupied ! territories have been getting worse and worse. Most skilled railwaymen have also been transferred from Germany to Russia. As far back as April all German railwaymen over the age of 18 had to be recalled from the army, and it is known that some 69.000 women are now employed on the railway service in Germany. The effect on the German railway system is a further example of the strain which is placed on the manpower of Germany as a result of her I territorial gains.—B.O.W.