SOVIET ARMIES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 October 1941, Page 5

SOVIET ARMIES

NOT BEING DESTROYED BUT INCREASING DAILY. SPOKESMAN’S DECLARATION. (Received This Day, 11 a.m.) LONDON, October 24. M. Lozovsky announced at Kuibyshev that the German offensive at Mojaisk and Malo. Yaroslavets (respectively west and south-west of Moscow) had been checked. Fighting continues in the Orel sector, but the new main German thrust seems to be developing at Kalinin, half of which is still in Russian hands. M. Lozovsky added that the Germans had lost several hundred thousand men in the new battle for Moscow. Fighting was growing fiercer every moment. “We can resist for several years,” he declared. “It remains to be seen how much longer l the Germans can stand their losses.” M. Lozovsky said German propaganda alleged that ithe Soviet cannot organise new formation. The Soviet Armies not only are not being destroyed,” he said, “but enormous forces are being trained under Marshals Budenny and Voroshilov. The Germans will' soon have practical proof that the Soviet forces are far from being used up and are increasing daily.” The “Pravda” says the Germans launched a new offensive in the northwestern direction, particularly ’in the direction of Lake Ilmen, simultaneously forcing an entry into Kalinin. Stubborn fighting has continued for several days. It is now possible to say that the enemy’s plans have been frustrated and heavy losses inflicted. X NAZI EXPECTATION MOSCOW LIKELY TO FALL AT WEEKEND. LONDON, October 24. Zurich reports that the Nazi Press is predicting that Moscow is likely to fall in the weekend. Moscow radio stated that enemy attempts to seize the industrial regions near Rostov yesterday were all repelled except at one point, where the Soviet forces withdrew to a new line of defence. The military correspondent of “The Times” says it does not appear that General Zhukov has superseded Marshal Timoshenko; indeed, it is believed that the whole front is now divided into two instead of three sectors —the northern sub-command under General Zhukov and the southern under Marshal Timoshenko.