VITALLY SIGNIFICANT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 November 1941, Page 5

VITALLY SIGNIFICANT

THE BATTLE FOR MOSCOW Enemy Checked But Bringing Up Reinforcements EXAGGERATED GERMAN CLAIMS MADE IN CRIMEA BUT POSITION IN PENINSULA DIFFICULT LONDON, November 5. . News of developments on the Moscow front is encouraging and reports from the Crimea are described as rather better, though the position in that area remains critical. A message from Kuibyshev states that there is reason to ibelieve that Hitler very much wanted to capture Moscow on /the day after tomorrow, the anniversary of the Russian revolution. The Soviet official spokesman, M. Lozovsky, declares that the battle for Moscow is of most vital significance and that the enemy is checked and is making no important progress anywhere. The Germans, however, are preparing for another big attack and are concentrating reinforcements north-west of Moscow and in the Tula region. A German communique says nothing about Moscow and deals almost entirely with the Crimea. It speaks Of raids on Yalta; on the southern coast of the peninsula, although the Germans claimed the capture of that place two days ago. The Germans say they are advancing eastward in the Crimea (towards the Straits of Kerch) and not towards Sebastopol. The Russians report fighting in the vicinity of Simferopol, the capital of the peninsula, which the Germans claimed some days ago to have captured. The “Red Star” says the Russians are consolidating and maintaining their defences, though the position is still dangerous. The Germans are reported to be bringing up reserves in the Rostov sector. Britain is still considering her attitude to the Finns, who continue to claim new successes against the Russians. One Finnish paper says the United States warning is due to a misunderstanding of Finland’s plans, but another seems to be a little hurt that the Russian peace offer was not disclosed by the Finnish Government and suggests that Finnish foreign policy should be debated in Parliament. A Moscow radio broadcast says that Russia is bearing the brunt of Hitler’s main onslaught, but that Britain is doing her share.