EFFORTS SLACKENING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 December 1941, Page 5

EFFORTS SLACKENING

GERMANS ON THE EASTERN FRONT Hope of Capturing Moscow This Year Abandoned ACCORDING TO BERLIN COMMUNIQUE “SOLDIERS SIMPLY FREEZE TO GROUND’’ LONDON, December 9. In Russia there are fresh signs that the Germans are going on the defensive. Their communique speaks of only local fighting, whereas our Allies speak of battles on all fronts. It is thought in London that if the enemy offensive is halted, the Russian High Command will strike before the Germans have time to dig themselves in. . The “Pravda” states that the Germans have been driven further back from the strategic Tula highway, south of the capital. It adds that the Red Air Force is giving increased support to the land forces and is intensifying its night raids on the enemy. . „ , The “Izvestia” reports that the mam Russian forces have driven the enemy back over a river 50 miles west of Rostov. Violent fighting is in progress at Taganrog, where the Germans, who dug themselves in there, are trying to wrest the initiative from the Russians. In this area the Russians are liberating one village after another. The Russians report more successful counter-attacks on the front covering Moscow. The official Soviet news agency states that enemy troops west of the capital have been driven from a number of villages. In one area many German soldiers were found frozen to death. A Berlin spokesman again referred to the Russian winter and said Germany did not intend to settle down to a peaceful winter. There would be plenty of scope for tactical operations, if only in repelling Russian attacks.