FRESH MILLIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24739, 16 October 1941, Page 7

FRESH MILLIONS

MOSCOW DEFENDERS CONFIDENCE UNSHAKEN NAZI ADVANCE SLOWED UP LONDON, Oct. 14. As Hitler's gigantic drive against Moscow reached the dangerous proximity of the Soviet capital, M. Lozovsky told a press conference that the German advance had been slowed up. and in many sectors had been halted. "Fresh millions have arisen to defend Moscow," he said. "We know the Germans will never capture Moscow. We can send to the front enormous forces, of which the Germans have no conception." The Moscow radio also emphasised the extent of the Russian reinforcements, stating: "From the east new units are arriving and fresh regiments are entering the battle. Like the waves of the sea the oncoming tide cannot be checked. The Germans cannot take Russia." Pravda declares that thousands of civilians are helping In the construction of field fortifications around Moscow.

German despatches to-night stated that the Russians are throwing " all possible reserves " against the Germans between Lake Ilmen and the Sea of Azov. Meanwhile Russian confidence in the face of the admittedly grave situation on the central and southern fronts suggests that the principal Soviet forces have managed to evade encirclement, in spite of the German trumpeting of "annihilations." The orderly withdrawal of Marshal Timoshenko's armies apparently owed much to German failure to advance rapidly northwards after capturing Orel, in the region of which the invaders are now swinging blows first in one sector and then in another. Their main aim hereabouts seems at the moment to grip individual units of the Soviet troops with steel claws consisting of small formations of tanks and to wipe them out, then pile troops into the gap thus made. The German losses in the Orel sector are reported to be so serious that the High Command is compelled to draw reinforcements from other sectors. The Viazma Sector

According to Russian despatches from the front the German forces in the Viazma sector are meeting growing resistance, which is slackening the rate of advance. Soviet forces from Bryansk, under the command of General Yeremenko, which retired in an orderly manner and intact, are now beating back the enemy attacks against their new positions. Izvestia reports endless columns of Russian reinforcements moving up to the Orel sector after the German forces fell into the Russian trap. After a seven days' tank battle on the Orel front Soviet forces have taken up a new line of defence. The Red -Star also says fighting, is proceeding continuously around Melitopol on the southern front. The Germans lost three battalions in capturing a height during a three days' battle. The Nazi spokesman claimed that the outer defence belt of Moscow was now within range of the German artillery. He added that the German forces were now driving down from the Valdai hills in the direction of the MoscowLeningrad railway. A special German communique states: The enemy forces enclosed in the Viazma sector are definitely wiped out. The destruction of the enemy in the Bryansk pocket is continuing. The prisoners in this gigantic double battle are now over 500,000, and the number is increasing every hour. The total number of prisoners since the beginning of the eastern campaign is far in excess of 3,000,000.