DEFENCE OF MOSCOW

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 October 1941, Page 5

DEFENCE OF MOSCOW

RUSSIAN TROOPS CONCENTRATING ON APPROACHES Enemy Advance Somewhat Slowed Down ANOTHER BREAK-THROUGH CLAIMED BY GERMANS RUMANIAN AND OTHER REPORTS REGARDING ODESSA LONDON, October 17. Another break through on the Russian front is claimed by the Germans. An enemy communique states that yesterday German troops broke through on the central sector and made a further advance in the face of stout resistance. Russian papers report that Soviet troops, concentrated on the approaches to the city, have somewhat slowed down the pace of the enemy advance. Other messages are conflicting. The Germans state that operations are proceeding according to plan. Russian papers state that Soviet troops have successnuly attacked at Kalinin and that Nazi pressure in the Orel area has considerably diminished in the last three days. The Rumanians report that in a sector unnamed, the Germans are only 40 miles from the capital. Berlin admits fierce Russian counter-attacks with tanks and states that German tanks are coming up against strong Soviet defences, including pill-boxes of the most modern type. The Germans claim that the city was bombed yesterday and last night and big fires started. Another report states that Russian railway traffic was dive-bombed and that four lines were interrupted. Sir Stafford Cripps and members of the British diplomatic and military missions have left-, Moscow for other quarters. Neutral reports state that other embassies and legations are making plans to leave the capital. The British missions are reported to have left at the request of the Russian authorities. There is little fresh news of the fighting on the other sectors. A German communique repeats the Rumanian claim that Odessa has been captured, and states that aircraft attacked Russian ships evacuating troops and civilians from the city. The Russians, to hinder the advance, set fire to factories and whole blocks of houses in the city. . j „ There is no change in the position around Leningrad. More than 100 military training centres have been organised in. the city and are attended by tens of thousands of workers. Their task is to prepared well-trained defence forces in the shortest time. On the southern front, the Moscow radio states, Russian forces have recaptured five important places in the Mariupol sector, on the Sea of Azov coast.