Evening star., 1941-12-05
Russians Report
Relaxing Area
0f4,000 Miles
Nozi Break Through
In Moscow Sector
Is Admitted
BY the Associated Press.


LONDON, Dec. 5.-The Russians
declared today they had won back
1000 square miles of territory on
the Rostov- -Donets basin front in
stlll-poWerful offensive which has
Wrested hundreds of villages from
the Germans and hurled them back
to defense line along The Mus
River extending north from Tagan-
rog.
A Moscow broadcast quoting dis
patches to the government news
paper, Izyestia, asserted that the
westward surge of the Red Army
still had not been stopped, despite
counter attacks and desperate Man
attempts TO establish artillery
backed lines Of fortification
Pravda declared that the Russians
had pushed six miles beyond Tagan-
rog. along the north shore of the
Sea of Azov, bringing village after
village back under the Red Banner.
Germans in Berlin declared
Russian smashes in the Rostov
region had been fought to a
standstlll' and insisted that tine
fighting line still lies east of
Taganrog
Mining Town Retaken
The Mus River, where he Rus
slams already were reported in con-
tact with main German defense
line. flows from east of Stalino
south almost to Taganrog. then
empties into the Gulf Of Taganrog
through wide estuary several
miles west of the port.
Pravda reported thai the Rus
slams had recaptured the mining
town Of Matveyev Kurgan. east Of
Stalno and some so miles north Of
Taganrog.
On the Moscow front. however,
the Germans apparently hurled con-
centrated offensive power into
terrific new onslaught north and
west OF Moscow, s!ashine through
the SolnetSchnogorski sector toward
Dmitrov, 40 miles directly north OF
the capital on the secondary rail
line to Lenlngrad
Russian broadcasts indicated that
a second danger zone" Rad devel-
oped Immediately southwest of Mos
COW. where the Germans were said
to have jabbed a wedge through
Soviet defenses at Mozhaisk, 81
miles west OF the capital, TO the
Naro Fominsk area 40 miles south
west of MOSCOW.
Situation Threatening.
The Moscow radio sad bluntlv
that the situation there remains
reatening"
Russian dispatches indicated that
the new break-through on the
right flank of the capitals deep de-
fense system was made Just south Of
Kiln. These reports said the Ger
mans seized two villages south of
Volokolamsk. IS miles northwest of
MOSCOW, in the neWly-reinforced on
slaught. They acknowledged that
the Germans made other gains in a
supporting drive head-on toward the
capital from the west.
The new menace was met, how
ever, by widespread Red Army
counterattacks which the Russians
SAID checked the Germans after
their first forward surge and which
further improved Russian positions
in the Tula zone south of Moscow.
The Russians took the view that
the Germans were hurting everv-
thing at hand into the attempt 10
bring the long fight for Moscow to
a decision. They estimated that IS
on the Moscow front; SIX of these
on the northern flank near Kiln.
tour divisions to the south near Tula
and the rest spread west of Moscow,
Enemy Pursued.
1zvestlas account OF the big south.
ern front setback for Axis arms said:
Gen. Lopatins troops have
reached the River Mus. where the
Germans are trying to form a new
front.
In the past "a hours troops Of
Gems. Remizov and Kharitonov con-
tlnued in pursuit Of the retreatlne
enemy.
AT the approaches TO Taganror
the enemy attempted to halt our
advance, building strong fortifcs-
tons equipped with machine guns,
artillery and mortars
"Remizovs troops. after heavy
engagement, broke through enemy
defenses and developed a success in
the direction of Taganrog"
Pravda said that at one point in
the Donets Basin the Germans
drove a wedge into Russian lines
with counterattack, but later were
dislodged.
1t reported that other attempts to
break the Red Army lines or stay
the Russian offensive failed.
A Moscow radio broadcast quoted
Pravda as saying that the situation