RUSSIANS REOCCUPY ROSTOV

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 85, Issue 283, 1 December 1941, Page 5

RUSSIANS REOCCUPY ROSTOV

GERMANS ARE IN FULL RETREAT WEST THREAT TO MOSCOW STILL REMAINS SERIOUS NEW DANGER TO SEBASTOPOL i T< legraph—Press Association-—Copyright.) (Recd. Il p.m.) London. Nov. 30. Soviet forces have reoccupied Rostov, key city to the Caucasus from the north, and the Germans are in full retreat westwards to Mariu|>ol, 100 miles away. They are closely pursued by the Russians. Early the Germans said they intended to evacuate Rostov to take reprisals against the populace for fighting against the German troops. A new thrust at Sebastopol, main Black Sea Russian naval base, in southern Crimea, is reported to have been counterattacked and the Russians have recaptured two important heights.

(Recd. 6.30 p.m.) Rugby, Nov. 29. German progress north-west of Moscow continues to be a serious threat to the defenders of the city, although the latest reports reaching London indicate that there has been littjc territorial movement in the last 24 hours. There has been no further gain in the north west, but probably some advance has been made near Tula <llO miles south) and east of that place. The invaders are apparently within 30 miles of the capital in the direction of Klin.

The Moscow radio reports regarding the Volakalamsk sector that the i enemy advance in the region of the [town “I” has been slowed up. “Our troops were compelled to retreat funder heavy pressure of enemy tank units far superior in number, but are I fighting for every inch and defending every house in the villages, and inflicting heavy losses on the enemy” says the report. “In the Malo Yaroslavets sector (70 miles of Moscow) the enemy, after heavy artillery fire, attacked our position in four places, but was repulsed. In the Crimea “In the Crimea the enemy is continuing to bring up reinforcements and the danger to Sebastopol has increased. The enemy is constantly attempting to take important heights on the approaches to the town, ignoring great losses. One height was taken by the enemy through numerical superiority, but. after long fighting, our troops recaptured it.” Timoshenko Congratulatwl Moscow broadcast the text of the following telegram, sent from M. Stalin to Marshal Timoshenko, and the High Command of the South-east-ern Soviet Army:

••I congratulate you on Ihe victory over the enemy and on the liberation of Rostov I congratulate the valiant soldiers of the Soviet armies commanded by Generals Charitonov and Remisov who hoisted the glorious Red Flag in Rostov.” A night Russian communique states. "Our troops, during Saturday, fought the enemy on all fronts. Germans Claim Klin The Berlin news agency claims that Klin <4O miles north-west of Moscow) is in German hands. The Moscow radio announced that M. Molotov's son has not been captured. A man calling himself George Molotov, an imposter, sold himself to the Gestapo. General Sikorski. Polish Com-mander-in-Chief. arrived in Kuibyshev, en route to Moscow, where he will confer with Stalin.—B.O.W. London. Nov. 29. -The Germans claim the capture of Balaclava and Volokalamsk '7O miles north-west of Moscow). This is not confirmed. Th" Nazi-controlled Paris i adio announced that Ihe Germans have pierced Russian po-itions in the Moscow area an J are now only about 22 miles from (he Kremlin. The Moscow radio admits that Sebastopol (southern Crimea and chief Soviet Black Sea naval base) is now greatly endangered because of new and In avy German attacks. Reoccupation of Rostov The Russians last night reoccupied Rostov, the enemy retreating in disorder to Taganrog, with the Russians in pursuit. More than 0000 Germans were killed. The Russian advance in the Kalinin sector (80 miles northwest of Moscow » continues. 'The German attacks in the Malo Yaroslavets sector <7O miles south-west of Moscow) were also repelled.

Pravda says the Germans have concentrated 49 divisions on the approaches to Moscow. Four tank, foul infantry and one S.S. division are concentrated north-west of Solnechnayagora. The fiercest battles are progressing in the directions of Klin and Volokalamsk. The Germans have succeeded in thrusting their forces forward, eastward in the direction of Klin (40 miles north-west of Moscow) and turning them from the north in the direction of Stalinogorsk (140 miles south of Moscow ). The frozen ground is helping the German panzer units.

A Russian tank brigade, in one engagement in the direction of Klin, destroyed 70 tanks and 25 guns and killed about 2000 Germans.

A Tass (official Russian agency) dispatch from the Crimean front, reporting the new German activity against Sebastopol, says: "The enemy continues to bling up fresh forces, with which regar’less of heavy losses, [he is repeatedly attempting to storm ■the heights and approaches to the city. Our troops and airmen, aided by t'ne Black Sea v leet. are heroically resisting the enemy.” Action at Tula Izvestia says the Germans have betm trying in the last ten days to ci; flank Tula (110 miles south of Moscow), attacking in the direction of Stalinogorsk, 30 miles south-east-wards. but have been unable to penetrate to any appreciable depth. A German communique says th • Germans occupying Rostov, in accordance with orders from the High Command. cleared the inner area of the city in order to carry out ruthless reprisals against the population, which illegally participated in battle in the rear of the German army. “We repelled strong enemy attempts to break through in the Leningrad sector” says the report. “German artillery and infantry frustrated a Russian attempt to establish a bridgehead across the Neva.”

A dispatch to Moscow from the northern front reports a Russian advance at Kestenga in the face of stubborn resistance. The Finns were flung hack elsewhere on the Karelian front with heavy losses. The Tass agency says the Spanish Blue Division on the Leningrad front has suffered at least 3200 casualties. “This explains why the division has not been in action on this front recently." says the report. Russian Steel Round Moscow Despite the worst horrors that German military genius can devise, and despite an attack more violent than anything the world has so far seen, the Russian army still stands solid and is drawing a curtain of steel across the Moscow approaches. It cannot be denied that the situation is very serious. German storm troops in the past few da.vs have made dangerous progress north and south of Moscow’ around Klin and Tula. The Germans’ claim lo have captured Klin and Stalinogorsk is still unconfirmed. According to The Times Stockholm correspondent, the Moscow front still shows no symptoms that the present heaviest German offensive has reached its culmination. Sweeping Round Tula The German armoured divisions’ smashing blow from the direction of Kursk has enabled the Nazis to progress in a sweep around Tula. They are now pressing north-westwards in the attempt to join up with other shock troops, which so far less sucl cessfully have tried to force a passage between Tula and Serpukhov. If the attempt succeeds, Tula will be surrounded with all the troops Zhukov has not managed to withdraw. Indeed, the position of the whole front must at present be regarded as more crititcal than ever. Renewed German pressure in the vicinity of Volokolamsk. Mojaisk and , Malo Yaroslavets. with a wedge at i Klin being forced south-eastwards instead of eastwards, appears to support I th? view of some military observers ; that the German modified plan consists of the creation of a succession lof circles westward of Moscow of which the first is already nearly completed and is aimed at Tula.—U.P.A. London. Nov. 28.—Tanks equipped with long-range flame-throwers and with cannon and machine-guns were 1 used by the German general, von Bock. He hurled them against the heroic defenders of Moscow, says the Stockholm correspondent of the Daily Telegraph. Four hundred Stukas kept blasting the fortifications in almost continuous i waves while squadrons of heavy ‘bombers concentrated on the railways eastward of ihc capital, in an effort to prevent the arrival of reinforcements for Genera! Zhukov's hardpressed armies. -U.P.A.