CENTRAL SECTOR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24736, 13 October 1941, Page 5

CENTRAL SECTOR

TIMOSHENKO'S ARMY COMPLETE ISOLATION CLAIMED RUSSIANS FIGHT BACK FIERCELY (Rec. 9 p.m.) LONDON, Oct. 11. The Germans are claiming that they have isolated the army of Marshal Timoshenko from '-he armies of Marshal Voroshilov and MarsLiij Budenny. but this seems premature. The Russians are fighting back fiercely in the Rjev area to maintain their northern contact, and they are also counterattacking the German right wing in the neighbourhood of Orel with the dual purpose of keeping in touch with Marshal Budenny and relieving the pressure against Kharkov.

This counter-attack should have the further effect of diverting the German forces to defend the flank of the German drive toward the Donetz basin between Orel and Kursk. Marshal Timoshenko's chances here as elsewhere cannot be assessed with any accuracy.

The Wilhelmstrasse apparently genuinely believes that the Russians have no first-class reserves worthy of mention, but the Red Star says that new reserves are going into action, and the b6st forces are en route to the front.

The Stockholm correspondent of the Daily Mail says that Marshal Timoshenko has already received reinforcements of fresh troops, guns, and tanks. The central drive against Moscow will naturally come into the limelight, but it is obvious that the invaders are concentrating at least equal forces and energy in the drives to the Donetz basin and along the Sea of Azov to the Caucasus, which are the most important and possibly essential for Germany if she is going to keep up highpressure fighting. The Moscow radio broadcast a teleDhone interview with General Charitinov. commander of the Russian Nintn Army, which the Germans claim they have annihilated. General Charitinov said: "The Germans are still fighting, but we are holding them. German reports that they have captured my headquarters are untrue,, and they never will. They have a grudge against the Ninth Army for beating them at Meiitopol, when we inflicted huge losses. They then got some men at our rear, but that has not scared anybody, and they have not surrounded us." Successful Guerrilla Tactics

Remarkable details of the persistent guerrilla tactics at the back of the German lines are given in a supplementary Russian communique, which states: "Partisan warfare inflicts heavy losses on the enemy. A partisan group operating in one sector on the north-west front destroyed during two months 19 motor cars, 8 lorries with ammunition, 15 lorries with foodstuffs. 4 light cars and 14 motor cycles. They also blew up 12 bridges, and repeatedly machine-gunned enemy infantry from the forestb. These partisans have killed more than 600 German soldiers and officers, and a short time ago members of this group organised a trap near a road. When a German motorised column appeared the partisans blew up the first car, and the enemy column was forced to a standstill. The partisans then attacked, and 10 enemy cars were destroyed. The partisans thereupon disappeared in the forest. Some other members of this group successfully attacked an enemy column of motor cycles accompanied by an armoured car and a whippet tank. The armoured car and several motor cycles were destroyed, and the remainder of the enemy fled." The Germans seem temporarily content to leave Leningrad, Odessa and the Crimea for a later settlement. The Russians at these points, however, continue their thrusts against the invaders, and local battles are as fierce as ever. A broadcast from Leningrad said that the Russians were still defending Osel and Dago, and the Moscow radio stated that the Baltic fleet was shelling the Germans on the mainland day and night. One warship in an action lasting 24 hours silenced five batteries.

Germans' Heavy Losses

In a report on the fighting on the Leningrad approaches, the commander of a Soviet unit states that between August 28 and September 27 his unit killed 9000 German soldiers and officers, destroyed 7 German batteries. 35 mobile guns, 45 machine guns, 22 motors and 60 lorries. During the same period the unit captured 4 batteries, 42 mobile guns, 22 heavy machine guns, 12 motors, 28 flame-throwers and many light machine guns. A supplementary Russian communique states that in the direction of Bryansk the Germans are attacking with tanks and motorised infantry, and Russian troops are offering stubborn resistance. In one sector 43 enemy tanks and several guns, machine guns and mortars were destroyed and more than one battalion was routed. In another sector of the same front the enemy lost 23 tanks, 80 lorries containing infantry, 138 anti-tank guns and many machine guns. In the direction of Viazma, Russian troops, in repulsing enemy attacks, inflicted heavy losses. In one sector of this front mor* than 800 enemy soldiers and officers were killed.