GERMAN FAILURE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24790, 15 December 1941, Page 5

GERMAN FAILURE

REVERSES IN RUSSIA WITHDRAWAL CONTINUES EXCUSES FROM BERLIN (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) (Rec. 11 p.m.) LONDON, Dec. 13. The Russian announcement that the Germans have been forced hack from the advanced positions they reached north-west, north and south of Moscow has been received with, great satisfaction in Great Britain. It is clear that the Germans are withdrawing a long way along a wide front and are being hard pressed by the Russians. The Moscow radio announces that as the news spread through the capital, crowds gathered in the main streets and cheered wildly. The scanty German press comment is eloquent of the German failure. German newspapers explain that the Germans on practically the entire front have entered winter quarters and that any operations are designed merely “to facilitate defence against possible Russian attack.” \ , A Russian communique states: “During December 13 our troops engaged the enemy on all fronts. On the western and southwestern fronts the Russians are fighting fiercely and continue to advance. Our units have taken Lyvna and Efremov.” “It must be plain even-to that the war now sweeping the world is the result of a vast conspiracy among international gangsters calling themselves Axis Powers,” said M. Litvinov to a press conference in Washington. He added that Japan was a common enemy, belonging to the same bunch of Axis gangsters. He explained that the sectors in which the great Powers fighting aggression had concentrated their strength must be ruled solely by the interests of the common cause. “ We are all in the same boat,” he said, “ and we must crash or triumph together over the greatest menace of our times. And we will triumph.” M. Litvinov declared that the Soviet had no intention of allowing Hitler to hibernate. “We intend to smash at Hitler until we break up his monstrous machine,” he said. “We feel no one can do this for us or without us, and we will fight to the end.” According to the Washington correspondent of the New York Times, M. Litvinov indicated that Russia intends to concentrate on her war effort in Europe to smash Hitler, but does not intend to open a second front against Japan at present. He added: “I do not know whether Russia will sever diplomatic relations with Japan.”

The Russian offensives are causing widespread nervousness throughout the German armies, says the Stockholm correspondent of The Times. Germans’ letters home complain of lack of sleep, which is one of the greatest hardships. They admit that the German soldiers mainly welcomed the decision to suspend the forward drives because cessation promised relaxation and long sleep, but some of the Germans still complain that ever-watching, elusive guenillas and lack of shelter are forcing the soldiers to sleep spasmodically in their own cold vehicles. A real night’s rest is. impossible because the guerrillas are most active in the darkv:'« /■" General Govorov’s forces broke through' the defences of the 252nd, 87th, 88th, and 268th Infantry Divisions and occupied 'the districts Kylibaykin and Lokotnya. General Boldin’s forces north-west of Tula routed the third and fourth tank divisions and a regiment of the Germania Division, and, successfully - developing their offensive, pressed on and surrounded the 298th Infantry Division,- t ■ General Golikov’s forces in the south-west are pushing back the 18th Tank Division and the 10th Motqrised Infantry. Division, and have occupied the towns of Mikhailov and Ystisan. . . A Russian communique states: “ From the beginning of the offensive lion December 6 to December 10. our units had reoccupied over 400 populated centres and captured 386 tanks.

4300 lorries, 604 motor cycles, 305 guns, 109 trench mortars,7ls machine-guns, and 546 automatic rifles. During the same period we destroyed 71 tanks, 655 lorries, 92 guns,‘ll9 mortars, and 131 ma-chine-guns. These figures do not include material destroyed by air operations. In addition, a colossal amount of other arms has been captured, as well as ammunition, uniforms, supplies and other goods. The , Germans lost over 30,000 killed. The Germans began their second great offensive against Moscow oh November 16, and from that date to December 10 we captured or destroyed (not including air operations) 1434 tanks, 3416 lorries, 675 / guns;-339 mortars, and 870 machineguns. Over 85,000 Germans were killed between November 16 and' December 10.” Pravda says: "We have thrown the Germans back from Volkhov. During the months of battle for this town, the enemy lost 8000 killed.” Russian cavalry under General Kostenko advanced a further 18 miles from Orel and forced the Germans from 30 inhabited centres. The Germans left rearguards •of machine-gunners in some villages, but the peasants rounded them up without waiting for the army. Pravda says the Germans appear to be putting up the stiffest resistance at Kalinin, where they rushed up reserve battalions. It adds: “Even there the Germans have been pushed back in several sectors.” A Teheran message states that the first shipment of British light tanks for Russia has arrived.