REACHING PEAK OF VIOLENCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24735, 11 October 1941, Page 9

REACHING PEAK OF VIOLENCE

tGREAT ARMIES CLASH RUSSIANS CONFIDENT FACING SUPREME TEST (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph-Copyright) (Rec. 11 p.m.) LONDON, Oct. 9. U.i ’ " With both sides throwing in fresh troops, the great battles now raging on the central front seem to be approaching the peak of violence,” says the Moscow correspondent of the Daily Telegraph. 44 The Russians* reply to the new German onslaught is the crowning effort not only to prevent the enemy from reaching the approaches to Moscow, but to break his heart by killing. It is difficult to visualise the size of this jagged battlefield, or rather series ' of battlefields, with great gaps sometimes 30 to 40 miles; wide. the fighting is stationary, at certain points, but it is essentially a battle of manoeuvre in which there are big tank actions in many different areas.'

“ Elsewhere stubborn Russian infantry and field gunners Strive to canalise the German armoured rushes and pitch out the ihotorised infantry following up these thrusts. The Russian Air Force meanwhile is fighting with desperate bravery, even ramming German bombers rather than let them escape. Hitherto the Germans have mostly held their airborne troops in reserve, but they used parachutists in immense numbers and lost thousands when attacking the railway near Orel, where the Russians destroyed all munitions and grain stocks before evacuation. The Germans are using a great number of planes in the Viazma offensive, but have failed to gain air superiority. Russian * planes wrecked several German air bases."

A captured. German pilot told the Russians that a large number of German planes were concentrated on a German - aerodrome near Leningrad, whereupon Soviet planes made a surprise attack and destroyed or damaged 40 planes in. 20 minutes.

. Workers in Kiiarkoy held mass meetings in factories as well as overflow meetings in the street, voicing defiance of the invaders. The workers in one*factory passed a resolution to work without reward and redouble their efforts. GERMAN DIFFICULTIES The Times correspondent on the German frontier says:

“ In spite of impressive successes, the whole German position , admitted;/$ because; the preparations for a 5 far too late; No adequate provision was inade for winter 'food supplies (particularly t f ats), warm

clothrn«, woollen blankets/ medical service, sanitation, housing, Keating, .and transport. Hence failure to capture ' Moscow and. smash Russian resistance before the winter ' sets in.'-iTOuld'‘ ; i)e; a German disaster of the first magnitude. ‘ Jn spite of all the propaganda that asserts to the contrary, the Gentian army doea not possess many of the winter types of planes capable of landing on ice or with motor fuel remaining liquid at the /lowest temperatures, whereas the Russians possess both amply.” :

DEFENCE OF OIL WELLS

r The 8.8. C., ih a German broadcast, stated: “ Hitler’s actual aims are the Caucasus and the oil wells beyond, but these regions will be defended. General Sir Archibald Wavell and General Sir Claude Autchinleck are in close touch with the Russian Command.”

The Stockholm correspondent of the Daily Mail says that after a hurried secret visit to Marshal Timoshenko’s headquarters behind Viazma, M. Stalin returned to Moscow apparently satisfied that everything was in order for the supreme test which is expected to materialise this week-end. He was accompanied by the leading military adviser, General Shaposnikov.

The Tass Agency says that a Russian submarine operating in the Baltic sank a German warship and two supply •hips.

Reporting that an epidemic of infantile paralysis has occurred in War-saw,-the Stefan! Agency admits that it is due to. under-rioprishment. and adds -that.. the Germans are now distributing vitamins to 'children under two years because they fear it will spread to the troops in occupation., .' Travellers arriving at Istanbul declare that Hungarian peasants are hiding food for fear of famine, and as the result of confiscation by the Germans. In a recent drive against hoarders 900.000 eggs were found hidden in rural districts.

The Ukranian fronts are far from inactive. although the German direct drive against Kharkov through Poltava is suspended because some forces, it is , reported, have been diverted towards Kursk and Orel to assist in dperations’ against Moscow. The position at Odessa and the Perekop Isthmus is still very animated, and enemy forces composed of Germans, Hungarians. Italians, and Rumanians report serious encounters northwards of the Sea of Azov. Their activities are facilitated by detachments creeping near thh coast, avoiding large Russian forces near Akimova and Melitopol. The Germans from the Zaporozhe region are heavily engaging these Russians, the 6th and 9th divisions of whom are alleged to be pocketed and undergoing annihilation, but a correspondent says that other information from Russia suggests that this claim should be regarded with reserve.

Neutral businessmen arriving from Rumania . say there are unmistakable signs of a movement for stopping hostilities against Russia. , The Rumanians are bitter against Quislings who have caused the annihilation of the cream of Rumanian youth for a cause in which they are not interested. Travellers express the opinion that huge casualties among the Rumanians will accelerate an anti-war outburst.