Evening star., 1941-12-29
Russian Drive PeriIs
Pivot Of German Arc
On Central Front
Nozis' Bulge at Mozhuisk
Threatened; Reds Claim
Rout Of Green Division
3y the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
MOSCOW, Dec. 29.-Moscow and
its armory, Tula, 100 miles to the
south. have been freed from immedi-
ate danger by the crushing Red
Army drive which is pushing back
the Germans, the Moscow radio de-
clared today.
With new advances on each flank
of the Moscow front the Russians
are threatening the Nazi bulge at
Mozhaisk, 81 miles west Of MOSCOW
the pivot of the German arc which
three weeks ago menaced Moscow.
Red Army dispatches at the same
time told of the rout of raw German
youths of II and 18 years who made
up most of an entire German divi-
sion. These reports said the youths
dropped their arms and fed at the
first Russian assault in the Kalinin
sector, 95 miles northwest Of Mos
COW.
The Soviet Information Bureau
said 332 towns and villages had been
reoccupied in the area during the
last 10 DAYS. Later the bureau de-
clared more inhabited localities were
occupied but did not give the total.
Successes on Kalinin Front.
The morning communique also
told of new successes on the Kallnln
front northwest of Moscow, where
Russian troops were said to have
launched a sudden attack which
captured headquarters of the 312th
German Infantry Regiment.
The attack caught the Germans
hy surprise" the bulletin declared.
"Undressed officers rushed out of
doors in the snow and were moved
down by our fire. The commander
and two of his aides tried to hide,
but our bullets overlook them.
Red Army men captured the
headquarters files. secret maps and
documents and large quantity OF
officers arms
The same bulletin also reported
that 400 German officers and men
were killed and considerable war
material captured in surprise
attack on the Leningrad front.
On the southern front, the COM
munique said. Russian planes wiped
out more than 1000 German IN
fantrymen and destroyed AZ trucks,
10 supply wagons and other equip
ment In two days operations.
Germans Periled on Central Front.
1t was reported the Germans were
resisting doggedly in the Mozhalsk
and MaloyaroslavetS sectors NAL
oyaroslavets is 65 miles southwest
of MOSCOW.
However, the Russians claimed
their thrusts to the north and south
of this part of the front had placed
the Germans in perllous position
and that the Germans, evidently
aware of this, had begun to With
draw
The Russians also were said to
be widening their offensive across
the Okla River between Kaluga,
southwest of Moscow, and Orel,
about 200 miles from the capital.
They pushed through Likhvin, 30
miles south of Kaluga and SO miles
west of Tula, and on through Belev,
about so miles southwest of Kaluga,
1t was reported.
Thus the Red Army was menacing
the German line of retreat west
ward from Kaluga toward Smolensk,
220 miles west Of Moscow.
106 Villages Claimed.
An Izvestia correspondent said the
Red Army had recaptured LOG viii
lagos on the southwestern front in
the last six DAYS.
The papers correspondent on the
Leningrad front told of a determined
attack by a picked German division
which was "crammed with officers
The division failed to gain a single
yard and lost 1900 men, the writer
said.
From the southern front, Pravda
reporter said Italians, led by their
officers, were Surrendering in units.
They are starved, frozen, Woe
begone warriors" wrapped in blan-
kets and wearing women's kerchiefS
and stockings, he said.
Eight hundred Italians were killed
in one action, nearly two Italian
battalions annihilated in another,
and the Celare division routed in a
third, he reported.
EIx;- na1oo