Evening star., 1941-10-29
Nozis Drive Deeper in Crimeo,
Berlin Claims, as Battle for
Rostov Neors CIimoctic Phase
Reds Counteruttuck
On Entire Front
Around Moscow
3, the Associated Press

German assault troops were re-
ported gaining ground steadily
late today in a breah-thrOugh
into the Cr.mean Peninsula -
the scene Of bloody conqucsts by
Goths. Huns Mongo's and Turks
for 100 years while in the
north Russia's S Red Armies were
said to be counterattacking
fiercely in all main sectors
around Moscow.
The Russians admitted that a
German advance to VolOkolamSk, 90
miles northwest of the city, had
complicated the position of the de-
Tenders, but on the southwest.
around Maloyaroslavets, the Red
Army's counterattacks were said TO
be growing in intensity and scope.
Dispatches from Moscow said the
Germans had lost so per cent of
their fighting strength in battering
at Moscow's defenses the last few
days.
The Moscow radio said the Ger
mans had been thrown back onto
the defensive in the Kalinin sec
tor. 95 miles northwest of the U. S.
S. R. capital. where Nazi losses were
placed at 5000 men, 40 guns and 80
mortars.
Other Soviet counter blows were
reported smashing at the Nazi siege
armies around MoZhaisk. 81 miles
west of Moscow. and Maloyarosla-
vets, 65 miles southwest.
Nazis StOrming RostOv.
The German break-through into
the Crimea. site of Russias big
Black Sea naval base at Sevasto-
pol, conceded with another grave
Nazi threat on the southern
Ukraine) front where Axis troops
we're reported storming at the gates
Of Rostov-on-Don
Soviet dispatches said Red Army
engineers were already planting
death-trap mines in Rostov end pre-
pairing to leave the city OF 100000
smoking ruin.
The main German attacking COL
umn was said to be only 10 miles
from the center of the big Don River
port. which guards the northern ap-
proach to the Caucasus Oil fields. In
Berlin, Nazi military commentators
said that once the city had fallen,
the way would be open for swift
armored divisions to strike south
toward the nerve center Of the oil
regional Maikop, IT'S miles below
Rostov.
Pipelines from Maikov convey the
precious fuel to the Black Sea port
of Tuapse. IS miles to the southwest,
and to Krasnograd. Donets Basin
industrial town, $50 miles north
west of Rostov.
3 Divisions Break Through.
A bulletin from Adolf Hitler's
field headquarters said three Ger
man divisions-about $4,000 men
succeeded in breaking through Red
Army defenses into the Crimea after
10 days Of hard fighting.
The reported break presumably
occurred at the entrance to the
Perekop Isthmus, a four-mile-wide
bottleneck linking the Crimea and
the U. S. R. R. mainland. which
has been the scene of bitter fighting.
Nazi shock troops attacking with
strong aerial support cracked the
Soviet defenses and captured 15.-
TOO prisoners. 13 tanks and 109 can
non, the German communique said.
Pursuit of the defeated enemy
was begun" it added
The Germans reported later that
the divisions which smashed through
the Perekop Isthmus line were driv-
ing ahead in an effort to seize
speedily the whole peninsula, vital
to control of the Black Sea.
The high commands statement
that Russian troops were being fol-
lowed up gave the impression in
Berlin and the German assault
troops were gaining ground steadily
The break in the strong defense
line was said to have been made
after 10 days of heavy fighting dur
ing which Russian positions were
battered almost constantly by Ger
man bOmbers.
Report Defenders Trapped.
German dispatches said the Rus
sians on the peninsula were in con-
siderable force and Berlin COM
mentators insisted the defenders
were trapped.
Once more. the commentators de-
clared the Germans were pushing
their enemy into the sea as they did
at Dunkerque, in Greece and at Tai
linn. They said German bombers
were ready for their familiar work
OF battering whatever shipping at
tempted to extricate the trapped
troops.
Aside from the Sevastopol base,
the Crimea is strategically impor-
tant for two other reasons:
l. Its eastern extremity guards
the narrow strait into the Sea of