MOSCOW THRILLED

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 283, 28 August 1942, Page 5

MOSCOW THRILLED

Continued Progress Of

Offensive

(Received August 28, 1.20 a.m.) MOSCOW, August 2i. The news of the Viazma-Rzhev offensive lias thrilled Moscow. Rumours of it had spread throughout the capital for days, but last night s communique was the first public ret-

errncc. ■T’ravdii" says that masses ot artillery, mortars, mid planes are involved in stubborn. bloody battles. The Russians have broken into Rzhev from the north, and street lighting is progressing. Russian tanks more to tlie north are going into battle iu the rear of tlie German tortrficatious. , Rzhev itself is in rums. Idle Germans have strongly fortified this district, and their ferro-concrete dug-outs are engineering feats. Tlie Germans have orders to stop tlie Russians at all costs, aud they are clinging to every inch ot ground, tint’ the Russian artillery is pounding the fortifications, tanks are destroying the German dug-outs, and automatic riflemen are finishing off the Germans trying to escape from the ruined dug-outs. The Russian troops are moving forward yard by yard, occupying trench after trench. Each trench holds dozens ot German dead, many machineguns and rifles mid sometimes whole batteries. Ihe Germans are loath to leave their blockhouses, and scores are buried beneath their debris. Dozens of prisoners, exhausted and dishevelled, are being sent to the Russian rear.