HEAVY SNOW IN MOSCOW

Southland Times, Issue 24602, 26 November 1941, Page 5

HEAVY SNOW IN MOSCOW

Germans Seek Winter

Quarters

LONDON, November 24

The Germans are throwing masses of troops and tanks against Moscow in an endeavour to gain winter quarters before it is too late. Heavy snow has fallen in and around Moscow. The Germans have made some gains in this sector, pushing the Russians slowly back.

The Russians do not confirm the German claim to have captured Rostov in the Donetz basin, but report fighting in this vicinity. In any event it would be necessary for the Germans to cross the Don before they could exploit any advantage from the capture of the city. North of Rostov the Russians in a large scale counter-attack have gained a considerable success, amounting indeed to a local victory. In the Leningrad area also the Red Army has gained success of some importance.

In the Crimea heavy fighting has been resumed.

General Fedor von Bock is throwing masses of tanks into the battle for Mosi cow in a final desperate effort to win winter quarters for the Germans before it is Lo late, says The Daily Express Stockholm coi'respondent. The situation on the entire Moscow front is serious. The Germans advanced to Klin, 40 miles north-east of Moscow. from Volokolamsk, which is 80 miles from Moscow, and the Luftwaffe has resumed its heavy raids on Moscow. NAZIS USE 40 DIVISIONS Forty German divisions, including ( half of all the tanks available to the High Command, are being thrown into an all-out offensive against Moscow, says Red Star, the Soviet Army journal. The Russians are being slowly pushed back at a number of points. Heavy snow has fallen on the Moscow Iront and Moscow itself is covered in deep snow. The Kuibyshev radio declares that the Germans are throwing in further tanks, planes and infantry in the battle for Tula in an effort to exploit their penetration into the rear of the Russian fightin-; lines. Fighting is proceeding with increasing ferocity. The Russians are counter-attacking, inflicting l.eavy losses in planes, for both sides are vigorously supporting the land operations despite the bad weather. Red Star says: “On the Moscow front at Volokolamsk the German advance has been checked in spite of a pow-

erful tank drive at Mojaisk. German it-inforcements of tanks and infantry forced the defenders to retire to new positions. At Tula the enemy pressure was met by stubborn resistance and the Russians, under General Yermkov, retreated slowly, trading blow for blow with the enemy. Counter-attacking on the entire north-western front the Red Army recaptured an important station on the Moscow-Leningrad railway line where more than 1000 Germans were killed. Soviet troops are not only mopping up the invaders, but are also assaulting another city on the same line.

In a brief general review of the position on the Eastern Front, Red Star describes the fighting at Rostov. It says: “After crashing through the outer defences, enemy tanks and mechanized forces were met by anti-tank fire and turned into the side streets where their progress was challenged at every step by the defenders.” The Stockholm correspondent of The Times says that apart from whether the invaders succeed in forcing the Don near Rostov, their position in the Donetz basin is not secure, but is disputed by strong and aggressive Russian forces operating in the Voroshilovgrad region and also from the hills eastward of Orjonikidze and elsewhere. The Russians in this region during the weekend recovered about 1000 square miles and inflicted heavy losses on the Italians and C .-rmans, and possibly also on the Hungarians.