TIMOSHENKO HAS INTACT ARMY

Southland Times, Issue 24574, 24 October 1941, Page 5

TIMOSHENKO HAS INTACT ARMY

GERMANS’ NUMERICAL SUPERIORITY (Rec. 6.50 p.m.) LONDON, October 22. Despite the ever-increasing ruthlessness of the German offensives and the numerical superiority of the German forces, Marshal Timoshenko s army is still formidable, still manoeuvrable and still intact, says the correspondent of The Times on the German frontier. Moreover, the German armies are still nowhere nearer the heart of Moscow than 40 miles. Marshal Budenny’s forces are still struggling heroically to prevent the whole of the Donetz Basin from falling into German hands. The Stockholm correspondent of The Times says the Russians self-con-solingly emphasize the great role this area has already played in the war by working over three months practically undisturbed. The industries in the area will benefit the Germans little immediately because of the devastation, while the more distant parts are still busy for the R ‘ssians, who destroy only as the Germans advance. The military correspondent of The Times estimates that approximately 4t> divisions of troops from subject races are co-operating with the Germans in the eastern campaign. This is a powerful reinforcement for the Germans, even though there is no great enthusiasm for the war among some of the contingents. A message from Kuibyshev says that Marshal Timoshenko has repeatedly brought up vast new reinforcements on a line eastward of Moscow which will confront the Germans if they succeed in piercing or by-passing Moscow defences. Preparations for defence in depth throughout the winter are also going on behind the battlefront.