RETIREMENT OF RUSSIANS

Southland Times, Issue 24593, 15 November 1941, Page 7

RETIREMENT OF RUSSIANS

GREAT FORTRESSES AT KERCH

(Rec. 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 13. A German panzer division has broken through the fortifications of Parpach and driven along the railway to attack Kerch, where the Russians have retired within the defence perimeters of three great fortresses—Kerch in the centre, Yenikale on the north, and the twin positions of Kop Takil and Mis Takil on the south-east tip of the Crimean Peninsula. The

Stockholm correspondent of The Daily Telegraph says these three strongpoints must be silenced before the Germans can hope to attempt the crossing of Kerch Strait. The German spokesman declared that the German Army was “knocking at the gates of the Caucasus” and storming the fortifications of Kerch, while German planes were roaring across the Strait of Kerch to carry the war to the Caucasian oil-fields.

Moscow radio reports that fighting has flared up in the Lake Ilmen sector, where the Germans attempted to surprise the Russian positions. Infantry advanced from three directions after only five minutes’ artillery barrage, but” the Russians successfully retaliated with murderous rifle, machine-gun and field-gun fire.

The Moscow radio stated that Soviet troops, in a fierce hand-to-hand battle, dislodged the Germans from a fortified height in the Malo Yaroslavats sector, from which the enemy retreated afterlosing about a battalion of infantry, leaving behind them many machineguns and trench-mortars, also a regimental flag. The Germans vainly attempted to recover the lost height, but the initiative remained with the Soviet troops. Fighting is continuing. While the German Military Spokesmen are emphasizing the bad weather

the Italian newspaper Gazzetta del Popolo goes further. “It may be that the winter will cause the closing down of operations or will even bring about a complete standstill,” it says. “The German High Command has already experienced difficulties which have caused much delay in the operations.” It concludes with the comment that in the southern districts, on the other hand, the offensive will be intensified. GERMAN DISQUIET LONDON, November 13. The disquiet throughout Germany after the miscarriage of Hitler’s Russian plans has been stimulated by the repeated allegations of the illegal German Freedom Radio that not only are the rank and file of Germans despondent, but also the generals are already at loggerheads about the methods to counteract the consequences of the miscarried plans, says The Times Stockholm correspondent. The Freedom Radio claims that General von Drogan, of the Military Commissariat, has informed the German Commander-in-Chief, Field-Marshal Walther von Brauchitsch, 'hat he can guarantee the continuation of regular and adequate supplies for the armies in Russia for only six weeks. It also alleges that General von Schell has informed the German High Command that the oil supplies will suffice for only a further 10 weeks and that therefore the armies must retire to, or otherwise occupy, defensive positions until oil supplies again accumulate. The Freedom Radio says that when these reports were communicated to the German generals they were furious and General Wilhelm von Leeb declared: “Oh, Hell! This is not the moment to retire or to become defensive. If we have oil for 10 weeks then we must h-mediately push ahead with more determination than ever to the Caucasus to get new oil supplies.” Describing the hardships the German soldiers suffer through the bungling by ii.capable men, the Freedom Radio announcer asserted that capable leaders must be given control—men capable of rescuing the Germans from + he terrible plight. defence means standstill, then negotiation, then compromise—the German soldiers did not fight for this.