DEFENCE OF THE CAUCASUS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24135, 29 November 1941, Page 11

DEFENCE OF THE CAUCASUS

THREAT TO MOSCOW GROWS HEAVY PRESSURE ON VITAL SECTORS . .x- U M ',,r .ml LONDON, Nov. 28 (Received 28, 11.30 p.m.) _ The Russian drive in the Ukraine, after progressing from the Voroshilovgrad direction for about 70 miles, has begun to swerve south-west toward the Sea of Azov, says the Stockholm corespondent of the Times. If this is no mere feint and Marshal Timoshenko is able to press his wedge home, pinching the German forces aimed at Rostov against the coast, he will thus scotch the operations directed against the Caucasus. Reuters correspondent at Kuibyshev says the Germans to the north-east of Rostov are trying to delay the advance of the Russians by burning villages, many of which they had converted into strong points. The Russians, who are operating in rolling country, aim to keep the enemy moving to prevent the establishment of a defensive line. The German hope of preventing the cutting off of a large part of von Kleist's forces is believed to be dwindling. Paratroops and Gliders in Crimea Large numbers of gliders and Junkers, also three divisions of Axis paratroops, estimated to comprise 7000 men, have arrived at airfields in the eastern Crimea from bases in Rumania and Bulgaria. The latest reports from Sebastopol state that units of the Soviet Army and Black Sea Fleet continue to hold their positions. The enemy suffered heavy losses in attempting to break through the Soviet defences. The Germans to date have lost well over 100,000 men in the Crimean campaign. The situation on the Moscow front has become more serious, states the newspaper Pravda this morning. It speaks of the violence of the attack in the north and south which threatens some of the most vital sectors. Certain important lines of communication are also in danger. The Associated Press correspondent at Kuibyshev reports that German tank and infantry divisions operating in the Stalinogorsk direction, south-east of Tula, advanced on a front of nine miles. On the Moscow front, says the newspaper Izvestia, the Germans have thrown in six tank and five infantry divisions from the Volokalamsk direction, west of the capital, where the situation has become aggravated in the past 24 hours. Battle Bloodier and More Intense The Germans in their latest drive against Moscow have frequently attempted to eat piecemeal into the Russian lines by sending forward small groups of tanks or detachments of heavily armed men with automatic rifles, who try to insinuate themselves into the rear of the Russian advanced positions, but the Germans main tactic is still the hammerblow. When they piled in four tank divisions on a narrow front to the north and south of Volokalamsk it was not to be supposed that such a weight of armour, in addition to the supporting troops, could immediately be held, and the Russians admit that some of this force came out on the Klin highway, 40 miles north-west of the Capital. The Germans, however, have been fighting for 11 days, and therefore are losing strength as the battle becomes bloodier and more intense.