“FINAL ASSAULT”

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 November 1941, Page 5

“FINAL ASSAULT”

PLANNED BY HITLER ENORMOUS FORCES ADVANCING CONTEST FOR THE CRIMEA. NOT REGARDED BY RUSSIANS AS LOST. LONDON, November 1. Hitler has mobilised all his military resources for a tremendous “final assault” against Moscow, Rostov and the Crimea. Trains packed with troops and materials are leaving German railway stations in an apparently endless stream, reports the “Daily Express’s” Stockholm correspondent. Thousands of lorries crowd the roads leading I eastward, and all available aircraft, regardless of type, are flying or being transported to Russia. ! “The Times” correspondent on the German frontier says that the Germans claim virtual possession, of the whole Donetz basin, their troops having arrived to the Donetz River on a broad front and in force. Russian reports, however, indicate that Marshal Timoshenko is systematically withdrawing. For this reason there is little mention of fighting from either side. The Russians do not regard the Crimea as lost. They have entrenched . themselves in strongly-fortified posi- | tions, but the Germans are sending in flood of their picked, best-equipped According to the Berlin radio, the Germans are approaching the town of Kerch, which lies on the quickest route to the Caucasus and the rich oilfields between the Black Sea and the Caspian. A Hungarian communique claims: “We are ‘ systematically forcing the Russians across the Donetz River and are taking possession of the right bank.” Stockholm newspaper correspondents in Berlin say that the German break-through on the Perekop Isthmus into the Crimea, was achieved after the heaviest artillery duel of the war.’ Two hundred German guns, 40 yards apart, battered the Russian defences, the Russian artillery being equally formidable. German reports of the engagement for the first time admit heavy German losses. One German ■ correspondent says: “Our ranks melted away.” “The Times” Stockholm, correspondent reports that the Russians at Leningrad have so far not achieved a major success really threatening the German hold but have certainly kept the Germans busy and prevented reinforcements for the offensive against Moscow. The Germans and Russians are still evenly matched between Leningrad and Kalinin. German reports state that the Russians at Leningrad continue their determined and large-scale attempt to break the besiegers’ ring. They several times crossed the Neva at night under an artificial fog in motor barges but were thrown back with murderous fire from artillery and machine-guns. German troops after bitter hand-to-hand fighting, broke through the stronglyfortified enemy zone westward of Wolchow in the direction of Leningrad. The Moscow radio says that despite their terrific losses, the Germans are pressing the attack on the outskirts of Tula. The Russians, falling back in

places, according to plan, are fighting strongly. A state of siege has been declared in Tula. The Soviet spokesman, M. Lozovsky, at a Press conference, said that in some sectors of the Moscow front the Red Army had passed to the counter-attack. The force of the Germans’ fourth week attack on Moscow had spent itself and resulted in heavy losses. The Germans had been determinedly repulsed before Rostov, and the German advance in the direction of Mojaisk, Malo-Yaro-slavets and Volokolamsk had stopped. German attempts to disorganise Moscow’s defences by bombing had also failed. The Russians were fiercely resisting German progress.between Taganrog and Rostov, where the Germans were definitely stuck. The formation of new Russian armies was proceeding satisfactorily.