MASSED GUNS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 237, 7 October 1942, Page 3

MASSED GUNS

HURL PANZERS BACK

Stalingrad Factory Area Survives Attacks

Rec. 1 p.m. LONDON, Oct. 6. Stalingrad is still surprising the Germans with its hard-hitting resistance as the Panzer general, von ! Hoth, again learned yesterday. He I assaulted the factory forts in the city's northern area and encountered j a barrage from massed Russian guns which heavily punished the spearhead of 100 tanks, inflicted (severe casualties and dispersed the German infantry. The Germans are receiving local setbacks in different parts of the city. Hand to hand fighting has broken out with renewed ferocity in many streets in scattered areas." Before the big enemy onslaught began thousands of shells were rained down on a narrow sector of the Soviet lines. Between dawn and dusk at least 20 separate assaults were beaten back by the Russians. On other sectors of the Stalingrad front the Germans have been unable to make any headway and the defenders have actually recaptured several blocks of houses. River Boats Supply City Reports from all sources concentrate on the see-sawing Stalingrad battle to the exclusion of the other fronts, but fierce fighting is occurring in other areas. Stalingrad and Mosdok are again mentioned as the only battle areas in the Soviet morning communique. The fighting in Stalingrad continues as bitter as ever. River transport serving the city brings up reinforcements and supplies by day and night, while a steady stream of gifts to the defenders comes from ail parts of the Soviet Union. The Moscow radio states that the Germans are bringing troops from the Crimea by barges to the Novorossisk area, but the Russians are attacking these from the air. The Black Sea air arm is also attacking barges and pontoons in enemy harbours. In the Mosdok area the fighting is in a narrow valley where the Germans, by superior weight, have succeeded in penetrating the outskirts of one locality, but have been compelled to retreat. A Russian success is reported from the Voronezh area, where the Red Army broke into a large settlement from three sides and killed 1800 of the enemy in the street fighting and is still advancing.

The Russians, taking the offensive at Voronezh, cleared German blockhouses and increased the depth of the wedge driven into the German defences.

The Germans are using paratroops on a considerable scale in the Caucasus, dropping them at widely separated points, but the Russians have held all attacks.

The Luftwaffe, considerably reinforced south-east of Novorossisk, is heavily bombing the Russian positions. The Russians in the Mosdok area, in the Eastern Caucasus, drove

the Germans back from the outskirts of a village and killed 100 and destroyed seven tanks. The Berlin radio stated that Marshal Budenny is commanding the Russians in the Western Caucasus. The German news agency reports a four-day battle south of Lake Ladoga and claims that the Germans annihilated seven Russian divisions. The Germans also claim to have advanced south-east of Rjev, west of Moscow, where they caused heavy casualties to the Russians.