FIRMLY HELD

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 November 1941, Page 5

FIRMLY HELD

THE RUSSIAN DEFENCES OF TULA .GERMAN FORCE ENCIRCLED AT VOLOKOLAMSK. SOVIET GAINS ON LENINGRAD FRONT. (By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright) LONDON, November 11. The Russian news agency, reporting a big river battle south of Moscow, says .’that German attempts .to force the River'Oka have again failed. Germans who tried to drive a wedge in the Russian lines were annihilated. The battle took place in the region of Serpukhov. Further south, near Tula, two successive enemy tank attacks were repulsed. Fierce fighting is going on in the suburbs of Tula, where the Soviet - droops are firmly holding their ground. /' A Russian communique mentions S specially fierce fighting at Tula (which is the industrial centre of a large coalfield) and also in the Crimea'. ■ The correspondent of the British United,.f?ress at Kuibyshev yesterday reported that large German forces were encircled near Volokolamsk, which is on the wing of the direct threat to Moscow. The operation has been progressing for at least two days. General Rokossovsky first threw out, cavalry on both wings of the sector and later consolidated the encirclement ,by artillery. The Moscow radio stated: “The Russians are advancing in several sectors of the Leningrad front. The Russians have recaptured an important height which was the scene of fierce fighting during the first German advance to Murmansk. In spite of bad weather Russian planes are constantly bombing and machine-gunning German mechanised forces along the entire front. Russian reports do not mention UKhvin, 100 miles east of Leningrad, which the Germans yesterday claimed to have captured in a thrust to link up with the Finns. The available information that the Germans are nowhere within convenient gun-range of Sebastopol, says “The Times” Stockholm correspondent. The Germans are probably checked along or near the River Alma (running 20 miles north of Sebastopol), and it is doubtful whether they have reached the moifth of the river or any part of the west coast of the Crimea. The Germans admit the strength of the Kerch defences, particularly those to the south of the town which dominate the strait. The Germans have concentrated great forces of dive-bombers and heavy artillery on this front.