VIAZMA BATTLE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 October 1941, Page 5

VIAZMA BATTLE

STREAM OF RUSSIAN REINFORCEMENTS NAZI FIGURES OF PRISONERS. RIDICULED BY SWEDISH PAPER. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) LONDON, October. The “Pravda’s” war correspondent says that the German forces on the Viazma front have clashed with fresh Russian reinforcements, whose strength is growing as the supply trains and lorries carrying ammunition and fuel stream to the front. In night' attacks on German aerodromes Russian planes dropped bombs each weighing over 1000 pounds, wrecking many planes and buildings. Soviet airmen also set fire to enemy troop trains and also a large oil depot for feeding the German tank columns operating north-east of Smolensk. The Stockholm correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” reports that Field Marsal von Bock’s troops, reinforced by strong units from von Leeb’s Leningrad armies, have occupied Rjev and then proceeded north-eastward along the west bank of the Volga to join the second force advancing along the railway from Velikiye-Luki, Toropets and Torshok to the west of Tver'. The Russians still hold the eastern bank of the Volga between Substov and Tver. The Volga hereabouts is 150 yards wide with marshes on both sides.

The correspondent adds that the Germans are including in the number of prisoners they claim to have taken many peasants and civilian workers, whom they are holding as hostages against the recurrent sabotage and guerilla warfare behind the German lines. The Germans are shooting 10 hostages for ’ every act of sabotage against supply lines of military units. Marshal Timoshenko is reported to have sent 10 divisions of reserves to the Volga line to check the northern arm of the pincer movement against Moscow. Panzer divisions have forced a way through Mtsensk and are now approaching Tula. On the question of casualties, one Swedish newspaper ironically points out that according to the official German figures, the Russians have already lost over 12,000,000 soldiers, adding that soon, when the figures reach 15,000,000, which is the maximum which Russia can mobilise, the German High Command will find it difficult to explain what they are then fighting against—as the fighting will certainly continue. Moscow says that the Russians are using a “wandering mine” to destroy German tanks. Two men hide in pits between 30 and 40 yards apart, each holding the end of a rope to which the mine is attached in the middle. Manipulating the rope, they pull the mine under the treads of the tank passing between them.