NAZIS NEARING APPROACHES TO MOSCOW

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 October 1941, Page 6

NAZIS NEARING APPROACHES TO MOSCOW

Pressure Increasing in Central Sector SOVIET RADIO CALLS FOR FIGHT TO LAST ENEMY CLAIMS REGARDING ODESSA (By Telegraph—Press Association.—Copyright.) (Received This Day, 11.5 a.m.) LONDON, October 16. After the reading of the latest Russian communique, the Moscow radio declared: “A serious threat to Moscow has thus arisen. The corpses of a hundred thousand German officers and soldiers and many hundreds of German tanks and aeroplanes strew the battlefield, but, availing 1 himself of his numerical superiority on the central front, the enemy has increased his pressure and is now nearing the approaches to Moscow (not the distant approaches). The enemy hopes to disarm the Soviet people, but the Soviet people cannot be frightened. They know they are fighting for a just cause. Moscow’s workers are forming detachments with which to fill in the ranks of the Red Army. The people of Moscow, like the citizens of Leningrad and Odessa, will defend their native town with arms in their hands. The reserves at the disposal of the Soviet are enormous. The enemy has temporarily seized important regions, but we have many other centres of war industry of the greatest importance, We are stronger than the enemy. Comrades, fight to the last! A drop of blood for every inch of soil! ”

MOVE TO KAZAN

The Associated Press Teheran correspondent says it is authoritatively reported that the Russian Government is prepared to move to Kazan, where the British and American Embassies have maintained a skeleton staff since July. Other nations have also sent representatives to Kazan. It is learned that most of the foreign diplomatic colony are now' leaving Moscow, fearing a German encirclement of the capital. It is announced in Tokio that the Japanese Embassy has left Moscow for an undisclosed destination. ODESSA IN FLAMES The German News Agency announced that Rumanian troops marched into Odessa this afternoon. The agency added that Russians and Rumanians are fighting in the streets. Every Russian capable of bearing arms is going into action. A Rumanian communique, issued this morning, states:' “The Rumanians have broken through the defences of Odessa, where the Russians are retreating along the front. Odessa is in flames. Fighting is continuing. The Rumanians have captured Gniliakovo, thirteen miles north-west of Odessa, Delnjk, six miles westward of Odessa, and Tararea, six miles south-west of Odessa.” The Associated Press Bucharest correspondent says Rumanian despatches state that Odessa harbour and the city are being devastated by fire. Flames leaping hundreds of feet into the air are visible for miles. Rumanian reconnaissance pilots report scenes of the utmost confusion within “the hopelessly doomed city.” A Berlin communique states: “Fighting is proceeding at several points on Moscow’s outer defence line, about 621 miles from Moscow. Kaluga and Kalinin have been in our hands for several days.”