FALL OF ROSTOV

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 62, Issue 245, 29 July 1942, Page 3

FALL OF ROSTOV

SERIOUS THREAT TO CAUCASUS.

DRIVE TOWARD STALINGRAD. BIG TANK BATTLE DEVELOPING. (N.Z. Press Association —Copyright). LONDON, July 2S. The Russian forces have evacuated Rostov and Novo Cherkassk. This news was given in the Russian midnight communique, which states: “Yesterday, Soviet troops fought in the regions of Voronezh and Tsimlyanskaya. After stubborn fighting Soviet troops left the towns of Novo Cherkassk and Rostov.” Desperate fighting is in progress along the 300 miles of the lower Don front between Azov, the port at the mouth of the Don, and Kalach, 45 miles west of Stalingrad. Reports from Moscow describe the situation as very grave. A big tank battle is reported to be developing round Kalach.

The Stockholm correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” reports that a tremendous panzer battle is raging round Kalach, Russian tanks and infantry in powerful field fortifications offering a desperate resistance. Rumanian and German armoured forces attack in wave after wave in superior numbers, with seemingly inexhaustible reserves.

The Vital Sector,

The vital sector of the lower Don appears to be midway between Rostov and Stalingrad, near Tsimlyanskaya, where the Germans forced bridgeheads some daysi ago. Powerful German tank forces have been massed here, and in places have succeeded in crossing the Don. The StalingradNovorossiisk railway passes only 25 miles away and must be in great danger. (

The Germans claim to have crossed the Don near Rostov, and captured Bataisk, a railway junction 10 miles south of Rostov, and also to have surrounded Azov. These claims are so far not confirmed. According to the Berlin radio, the whole Don delta is now under Gorman control.

The front line reporter of “Pravda” at Rostov says: “Enemy aeroplanes, tanks, artillery—everything was again thrown in to-day in a ferocious battle. Our artillery was firing on tanks over open sights', knocking out scores of them: We threw back three .attacks in one area, but the enemy brought up more tanks and fresh infantry and broke deeply into our defences.” A German communique states: “After two days of fighting the Germans captured by storm the strongly fortified railway junction town of Batoisk, 10 miles south of Rostov. Further eastward our mobile forces have pushed far to the south. German and Rumanian infantry in the Great Don Bend, co-operating with tanks and aircraft, repulsed the enemy and reached the river along a wide front.” Marshal Timoshenko is launching counter-attack after counter-attack against Marshal von Bock’s menacing bridgeheads in the Tsimlyanskaya area. The Germans were thrown back into the Don at several points, and at others were cut off, but elsewhere the Russians admit that they were forced to give ground.

Pressure at Tsimlyanskaya.

The Stockholm correspondent of the “Daily Mail” says: “Two German armoured columns which forced, the lower Don at Tsimlyanskaya joined up, but the Russians have isolated them from the river, launching attacks from all sides in an attempt to wipe them out.

The Moscow correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” says: “The enemy maintains two bridgeheads at Tsimlyanskaya and has not succeeded in establishing others. Enemy pressure is growing hourly. Each fresh attempt to force a erasing is savagely smashed by the Red Air Force, which is now of considerable strength in the Tsimlyanskaya area.

Stormoviks are blasting German concentrations. They arc dive-fighters, fitted with big cannon and strongly armoured forward, so that they can come right down and rake armoured forces, batteries, transport, and troops. I ho Germans temporarily made a new crossing, but wore thrown into confusion bv a Stormovik blitz and then pushed into the river by bayonets, grenades and Tommy-guns. Weight of German Attacks. “The German command daily throws in more reserves at all essential points, aiming at widening and deepening the wedges being driven toward Stalingrad and the Caucasus,” the correspondent continues. “Xever before lias the enemy hotter shown his superlative quality in swift mass concentration, also wealth of efficient motor transport; but. we must not belittle Marshal Timoshcnka’s strategy. He cannot yet risk engaging forces as heavv as Marshal von Bock's.

In a message to the 8.8. C., Air Paul AVinterlon, of the London “ XowsChronicle,” sums up the position by saying that “superficially, the position is as bad as it can be.” He users the word superficially because the Gormans seem dissatisfied with the progress being made, and they are making claims well in advance of their actual gains. ATr AVinterton says that the Germans are making a big concentrated attack south of the Don and are hoping to break through by sheer weight of metal. The Russians, on the other hand, are pushing them back with tremendous strength and determination. The Germans are crossing the Don at night, and during the day are trying to hold positions until reinforcements airive. The result of the struggle. says Air AVinterton, is still 1 * in doubt.

Alonday night's reports stated that in the Lower Don hard fighting was

in progress on the steppes adjacent to the hanks of the river. The Germans claim to have reached the Chir River, which flows about south-east of Bugocluir and joins the Don 100 miles above Tsimlyanskaya. The Vichy radio stated that the Red Fleet had been evacuated from Rostov to Yeisk.