THRUST AT MOSCOW SMASHED

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24084, 1 October 1941, Page 7

THRUST AT MOSCOW SMASHED

ATTACK ON THE CRIMEA DEVELOPING

By Telegraph—Press Association —CopyriKht (Received September 30. 11.30 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 30 There is no indication of any. German advance anywhere on the Russian front, it was stated in London this afternoon. In the central sector Marshal Timoshenko is following up his success. J"he Germans are still retreating in a south-westerly direction. Describing the recent fighting on the central front, Major Ananaye, in an article in the Soviet War News, says the advance of General Guderian against Bryansk was planned to coincide with an advance in the Valdai Hills, where the German First Tank Group aimed to establish itself. Guderian, who is commander of the Second Tank Group, aimed to take Roslovl and develop a break-through toward Moscow between Roslovl and Bryansk. The extreme southern wing would swing south-eastward and capture Kursk. Marshal Timoshenko's counter-offensive defeated these intentions. Foiled in their attempts to take Bryansk from Roslovl, the Germans wheeled south and attacked from Pochep. When this attempt was also defeated, Guderian turned still further southward and tried a three-pronged attack, upon which the Red Army garrison at Bryansk marched southward along the Desna River and engaged Guderian at Trubchevsk. The Germans retreated after several days' fighting and gave the Russians an opportunity for a counter-offensive, which was launched in several sectors. The Germans were beaten back all along the line between Pochep and Novgorod Seversk, and around Pochep dozens of villages were retaken. Thirteen German divisions took part in the battle, consisting of four motorised, five infantry and four tank divisions. The tank and motorised divisions alone suffered 20,000 casualties and lost 570 armoured cars, 1525 lorries, 196 aeroplanes and 206 guns.

Numbers of heavy enemy air attacks have been made on communications in the Crimea and on both railways and roads, but the Germans appear to have made very little or no progress on the isthmus.