GRAVE THREAT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 October 1941, Page 5

GRAVE THREAT

TO RUSSIAN CAPITAL BATTLE INCREASING IN INTENSITY. WHOLE NATION CALLED TO ARMS. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, October 16. The gravity of the threat to Moscow, as the Germans continue to throw in fresh units into the battle, which is increasing in intensity from hour to hour, is indicated in a Moscow communique stating! “During the night of October 14-15 the position in the western (central) direction of the front deteriorated. The enemy hurled large forces of tanks and motorised infantry against our units, and in one sector broke through the defences. Our troops opposed the enemy heroically, inflicting heavy

losses, but were compelled to retreat in this sector.”

The most bitter fighting is still going on in the Viazma sector in the west and the Kalinin sector, north of Moscow. The Russians are said to have firm control of the broad main highway leading from Viazma to the capital, and the Germans are trying to outflank the defenders’ positions astride the road. The Germans claim that Kalinin has been in their hands for days, but Moscow yesterday announced that the enemy were attacking the approaches of the city. The Germans also claim the recent fall of Kaluga, 100 miles south-west of Moscow. Soviet newspapers yesterday spoke of the attack on this part of the front (the Bryansk sector) as being the most threatening and reported that the Germans were advancing slowly. While Moscow’s most critical hour approaches, millions of Soviet citizens behind the lines are being trained intensively. A supplementary Russian communique states: “The first two weeks of compulsory military training for the Soviet Union has been carried out with great enthusiasm. “The whole nation is arising to learn how to use weapons of defence for the cause of their Fatherland. In Leningrad the training is carried out in war conditions. In the Donetz coal district the working people in their free time are doing their utmost to learn in the shortest time how to use their arms.”

A call to the people of Moscow to stand firm in the face of the danger is made by the “Pravda” today. “This is a sacred moment, for Moscow is in our blood,” it states. “Let every soldier and every citizen realise the danger which hangs over our city. We must fight with strong nerves and determination for every inch of ground.” It declares that this is a time when “the life of every Soviet citizen belongs to his country.” While Moscow digs in against the invaders the Leningrad garrison is hitting out hard. It is announced that the Germans have been flung from several strongly fortified positions before the city and the enemy casualties were more than 10,000. It was stated in Moscow yesterday that the Germans had been checked in their advance in the south-east Ukraine toward Rostov from Mariupol.