FRESH ONSET

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24102, 22 October 1941, Page 7

FRESH ONSET

GERMAN PREPARATIONS WHOLE CENTRAL FRONT RUSSIAN REINFORCEMENTS LONDON, Oct. 20 The Stockholm correspondent of the Times says that although the Germans cannot have completely overhauled and renewed all their transport they appear to be ready for a new and determined surge along the whole central front. Renewed activity is already evident, particularly between Kaluga and Kalinin. Marshal Timoshenko is exploiting to the utmost the temporary slackening of the German onslaught on the central front due to the necessity of bringing up reinforcements. He is violently counter-attacking with heavy armoured units and fresh reinforcements, particularly in the regions of Mojaisk and Maloyaroslavets. An unofficial but reliable German source indicates that German losses are heavy in this small sector, and over 200,000 Germans were killed and a similar number seriously wounded in the first half of October. Tens of thousands of corpses litter the bloodied snow and it is claimed that one German regiment has lost half its men. The Germans are reported to have over 100 divisions between Orel and Kalinin, with about half, including 4000 tanks, in the middle, attempting to smash through to Mojaisk and Maloyaroslavets. The Germans are believed to be no nearer Moscow than these towns. CONFIDENCE IN RUSSIA ABILITY TO HOLD OUT FURTHER AMERICAN AID (Reed. 7.40 p.m.) WASHINGTON, o_ct._ 21 The leader of the American mission to Moscow, Mr. Averell Harriman, has advised President Roosevelt that he has great confidence in the Russians' ability to stand up against the German military machine. Mr. Harriman had a three-hour conference with Mr. Roosevelt in New York last night, and will confer with the President again to-day in Washington. Agency messages suggest that help for Russia will be speeded up as a result of the talks. The, Secretary of the Treasury, Mr. Morgenthau, announced that the United States Government has advanced the Soviet another 30,000,000 dollars against gold which Russia will send to the United States. The money, it is understood, will be spent in the United States on munitions. A thousand Protestant bishops, clergy and editors have sent a letter to Mr. Roosevelt appealing for "all-out" aid to Russia. The letter declared Communist infiltration into the United States was exaggerated, and said: "Not one member of any branch of our Government is a Communist." HAVOC AT ODESSA CITY PARTLY IN RUINS LONDON, Oct. 20 The war correspondent of the Milan newspaper Corriere della Sera reports that Odessa is partly in ruins. The power works were blown up and the town is without electricity. The dams were dynamited, flooding the industrial district. Ten big fires are raging. The Russian troops, before leaving, ploughed up and mined the airfields, rendering them useless. POLISH TROOPS LONDON, Oct. 21 •Polish troops trained in Britain are going to Russia to form the nucleus of a Polish army there. AIRCRAFT LOSSES LONDON, Oct. 21 On Saturday 38 German aeroplanes *ere destroyed on the Russian front, the Russians losing 17. On Sunday 23 German aeroplanes were destroyed, the •Russian* losing seven machines.