Evening star., 1941-11-13
C|imoctic Battle for Moscow
Taking Shape as Germans and
Reds Pour Reserves Into Line
Defenses of Kerch
Being Stormed,
Nozis Declare
Fy the Associated Press.

reserves were reported moving up
to the central front today for a
possible climactlc battle for Mos
COW. while in the south Adolf
Hitler'S Crlmean armies were de-
clared to be storming the forti-
icationS of Kerch at the gate
way to the Caucasus oil fields.
A Nazl spokesman said the Ger
man air force already was roaring
over the narrow kerCh strait 10
car-~ the war into the great fields
which produce much OF RuSSla'S oil.
German military dispatches SAID
Nazi assault troops had captured
several Of Kerch'S key fortlticauons
and that the port was open TO
direct attack from the west and
south.
\aziS Testing Soviet Lines.
On the Moscow front. Soviet re-
ports said the Germans were in
tenSifying their scouting operations,
testing Red Army lines along the
entire 200-mile defense arc, appar-
entity as the prelude TO 2 new grand
offensive. Fresh Soviet troops were
streaming up TO the front to meet
the expected assault.
On the north flank, III the kallnln
sector. the Russians said they had
driven the German invaders back
i,-n q
hurricane of Nazi mortar, machine
gun and rife fire.
Southwest of kahnin. Red Army
group was said TO have crossed the
Volga in successful raid on the
German rear.
GrayeSt Threat at Kerch.
The graveSt threat on the long
battlefront Centered at kerch. with
the Germans apparently making
final preparations to cross the Kerch
strait and drive into the Caucasus.
Reu,erS, the British news agency.
quoted the Rome radio as annOunc-
Ing that German and Rumanlan
forces had occupied the port. which
lies on A marrow strait separating
the Crlmea from the Caucasus
mainland.
Dispatches to the Soviet news
paper Pravda, however, asserted
that Fed Army troops had beaten
off A German attempt to turn the
Russian lines in the kerch area.
The German attacks we're re-
pulsed by the Joint efforts OF land
troops. aircraft and naval forces
Pravda said.
Nazi Planes Blast Ships.
Russian front line reports said the
Germans were equally unsuccess-
full" in fighting near SeVastopol, key
Black Sea naval base at the south
west lip of the Crimea, and that
repeated Nazl tank assaults tailed
to break through our defenses. -
German bombers were pictured
by the Nazi high command as
blasting furiously at Soviet ships
which might be used to evacuate
Red Army troops from the penln-
sula. A Nazi communique reported
that three cruisers. a destroyer and
five large merchant ships were badly
damaged in nearby waters.
On the central front, Soviet dis
patches declared that fierce battles
were raging on both fianks of Mos
COWS defense line-at kallnln, 80
miles northwest of the capital, and
at Tula, 100 miles south.
Battle at Tula.
At Tula. where the Germans were
reported driven back miles yester-
dav. a Soviet correspondent gave
this account of the battle:
Our artillery fire destroyed the
enemy fortifcations at the ap-
proaches 10 the city. Retreating
from the line, the enemy left hun
dreds of dead and wounded and
anti-aircraft guns, tractors and au-
tomato rifles Fighting is now going
on outside the city"
The Moscow radio said Field
Marshal Gen. Fedor Won Book, COM
manding the Nazi central front
armies had moved up a division of
-
lamSk sector, 65 miles northwest of
the capital, in preparation for a
new assault there
The Finnish air command said it
had cut the Murmansk- -Leningrad
railway anew in many places by
continued attacks despite unfavOr-
able weather A train and a sta
h,lilIi,NO oil hit
Reuters said a Rome radio broad
cast reported that HelSinki had been
raided by air three times within "a
hours.
A large Russian transport was
sunk yesterday when it struck a
minefield in the central part of the
Gulf of Finland. a Finnish COM
munique announced.
Nazis Gird for New Drive.
London military quarters report
ed that the NaziS were apparently
girding for a new offensive against
Moscow at several points despite
enormous losses already suffered in
the 42-day-old drive on the Soviet
capital.
Authoritative London quarters
said Is German armored divisions
and 70 infantry divisions-perhaps
1890 900 troops-had suffered "ap-
preciable casualties and that in
some instances Nazi losses ran as
nigh as so per cent.
Eight Nazi armored divisions were
withdrawn from the front early in
september after two phases OF
furious and exceptionally heavy
fighting" these quarters said. and
have only reappeared in action in
the last few days.
Bitter fighting is continuing in
conditions in which frost, snow and
mud are additional causes for
casualties" the source said.
London military observers said
Hitlers high command was still
oaff1ed in attempts to find soft
spot in MoScow's defense ring.
The Germans have hit the de-
lenders A so m6nV SDOtS and found