POWERFUL ARMY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 November 1941, Page 5

POWERFUL ARMY

USED AGAINST CRIMEA POSITION DANGEROUS. BUT FIGHT WILL GO ON. " (Received This Day, 10.50 a.m.) LONDON, November 4. “The Crimea is in danger,” says the “Red Star’s” war correspondent The'Germans several days ago broke through the defence lines and although they suffered enormous losses as a result of our stubborn resistance they have kept up a furious onslaught, striving to widen the gap, which eventually they accomplished. “In the past few days, the enemy has pushed into the Crimea, where he is developing an offensive across the Crimean plain and is now menacing a number of large Crimean towns and striving to push the defenders into the mountains. The Germans have already captured some towns and are now mustering all their forces for a blow against the central districts of the peninsula. The Germans achieved results because they mobilised a vast army against the Crimea, hurling against the Perekop Isthmus five divisions, over 200 planes and tremendous numbers of guns and tanks.” The correspondent adds that according to the most moderate estimates, the Germans, in the Crimean fighting, lost over 90,000 killed and wounded. “The Germans,” he adds, “have captured part of the Crimea, but they have lost almost their whole army without achieving their main aim of destroying our troops. The Crimea is in a very difficult situation, but is unconquered and the fight will go on.” MURMANSK SECURE ACCORDING TO RUSSIAN PAPER. SWEEPING CLAIMS MADE BY ENEMY. (Received This Day, 11.5 a.m.) LONDON, November 6. “After four large-scale enemy offensives over a period of 120 days, Murmansk is still an impregnable fortress,” says the “Izvestia.” “The Germans are now forced to build trenches. They are unlikely to stand the Russian winter, and probably will force the Finns to man them.” The “Red Star” reports that Soviet bombs, escorted by Hurricanes and Rus-

sian fighters, bombed German positions near Murmansk. The German News Agency claims that Finnish troops captured a group of islands southwards of Viborg, which is an important base for the Soviet fleet in the Baltic. It adds that operations on the Finnish front are now asuming the character of a blitzkrieg. Thousands of square miles have been cleared of the enemy and further advances are continuing towards the Murmansk railway and the Stalin Canal. GUERILLAS IN ACTION FILMED BY BOLD SOVIET PHOTOGRAPHER. ENEMY FRONT CROSSED TWICE. (Received This Day, 10.50 a.m.) LONDON, November 4. One of the strangest films ever made, showing Soviet guerillas operating behind the German lines, has been brought back by a Soviet camera man, Serge Ockutov, who crossed the front in the neighbourhood of Novgorod, after which he journeyed far to the rear of the German lines and. moved slowly southward, before ,he recrossed the front a month later, near Kalinin. SIR W. MONCKTON VISIT TO KUIBYSHEV. (Received This Day, 10.5 a.m.) (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, November 4. It is reported from Kuibyshev that Sir Walter Monckton arrived there yesterday.