PERIL REALISED

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24178, 21 January 1942, Page 7

PERIL REALISED

LUFTWAFFE'S ORDER MUST HALT THE ENEMY RUSSIANS DRIVING ON LONDON. Jan. 19 The news that the Red Army is now fighting in Mojaisk and Orel and close to Kharkov is believed to presage the beginning of a "fluid period" in which the Russians anticipate a major and favourable readjustment along the whole of the Central front. The peril to the German Army has been at last fully realised by Hitler, who is reported to have sent an order t-o the Luftwaffe to halt the Russians at any cost. .Masses of dive-bombers and fighters were yesterday thrown into the battle in a terrific effort to blunt- the Russian spearheads. assaulting Mojaisk. Once the main retreat of the German Army from the Mojaisk sector gathers momentum it is believed that the Germans have no hope of staging any more rearguard actions until they are behind the Smolensk defence. Smolensk itself is being rapidly drawn into the battle zone. Yesterday the Russians .were within 60-miles of this city. Red Star, the Soviet military journal, reports that men and «women armed with pitchforks and axes helped the Russian troops to throw the Germans out of-their village on the Kalinin front. The Germans suffered heavy losses. War Correspondents Banned • The Moscow radio declared that the Germans have banned war correspondents . from the Russian front. Ground transport communication difficulties make their work practically useless at present. The Moscow radio, referring to the capture of Polotnyanyzavod, said the Germans began burning the town three days before their retreat. The main and other streets were in ruins. Public buildings, the paper mills and bakeries were burned.' Russian troops found many fires raging and families digging among the ashes for goods they had hidden in cellars. Moscow radio states that fierce fighting is in progress in the region of the Donetz Basin, where the Italians resistance has been unsuccessful. no enemy tank brigade lost all its tanks. German Claims The latest German communique claims that German and Rumanian troops recaptured Theodosia, on the south coast of the Crimea, and took several thousand .prisoners in the Theodosia area. It claims that all other Russian forces have been annihilated, an adds that the Germans have thrown back the Russians who landed on the south coast of the Crimea and captured 4600 prisoners. The communique admits that the Russians are attacking vnt strong forces along the whole of tle Donetz front. A German newspaper says the Germans do not underestimate the 115 sians or their equipment, especia jy as they are reinforced by Siberian soldiers, who do not really warm up unti i "gets cold. The Russians have reoccupied a town -10 miles from ' Polotnyanyzavod. Ie Soviet Air Force on Sunday pait y wiped out five enemy infantry attalions Moscow radio announces that l Stalin has promoted five Russian commanders to the Irank of general. TERRORISM IN BALKANS PATRIOTS' RESISTANCE LONDON, Jan. 19 Fifty arrdsts were made in Sofia,' Bulgaria, in the past 24 hours, following the discovery of an alleged Communist conspiracy, says a report from Zurich. ( A German press correspondent, Worlicek, is reported to have said on Ins arrival at Ankara from Yugoslavia: "We have been too kind to the Serbs. It is true that we have shot over 350,000, hut there will be no peace Until we shoot the remainder." _ 1 Serbian patriot activities continue ( Undiminished, and there has been fierce fighting in West Croatia, where a : seven-day battle is reported to have .been fought. . . i The struggle is even fiercer in Bosnia, where General Pavlevitch's terrorists < have been subjected to continuous attacks. » | NEW ITALIAN STAFF CHIEF (Becd. 5.5 p.m.) ROME, Jan. 10 General Yittorio Ambrosio, commander of. the-Uth Army, has been appointed chief of the General Staff, re- j Placing General Mario Roatta who I takes over the command of the /nd t fmy. 1