GERMANS GAIN GROUND

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23741, 12 September 1942, Page 5

GERMANS GAIN GROUND

Stalingrad Threat Increases RUSSIANS AGAIN RETIRE (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright.) ! (Rec. 11 p.m.) LONDON, September It. The Red Army has been ordered to hold Stalingrad cost. The situation to the west of the city is described a* “grim* The Russians are counter-attacking to hold up the German driv§ on the city from the west, which has gained ground for thi fourth day in succession. The Russians have evacuated three more localities. The Moscow correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” says: “The new wedge, in which there are two villages, is serious because the villages screen the Germans from Russian armoured counter-attacks. Russian newspapers emphasise _ the cost to the Germans of the new Stalingrad wedge, which included several dozen tanks, at least 200 infantry lorries, and thousands of men killed.” The Soviet midday communique reports fierce fighting west and south-west of Stalingrad, and also in the Mozdok area and in the streets of Novorossiisk. On the western Caucasus front at Novorossiisk, the Germans are increasing their pressure, and have captured more streets. The Russian forces are attacking German groups on the south bank of the Terek river in the Mozdok area.

The Germans, still creeping towards Stalingrad from the west, to-day claimed that houses of the outer suburbs were within sight. The latest German advance is on a narrow sector which the Russians are heavily counter-attacking from the flanks. Fighting in this area is particularly fierce. According to a German radio announcement on Thursday night, German troops are now fighting : inside Stalingrad's inner defence belt. Thursday’s Communique Thursday night’s Soviet communique stated: "Our troops on September 10 were engaged in fierce fighting west and south-west of Stalingrad, as well as in the regions of Mozdok and in the streets of Wovorossiisk, There were no important changes elsewhere, “After heavy defensive fighting west of‘Stalingrad the Soviet troops left three localities. On one sector Of the same .front, in an attack by two enemy infantry regiments with tank support, Soviet forces destroyed seven tanas and-milled 400 officers ahd men, but a group of German tanks succeeded in penetrating® into an important region. Fierce fighting is proceeding. The Soviet Air Force has been inflict, ing heavy losses on the enemy. During the last two days on the Stalingrad front Soviet aeroplanes destroyed or damaged 30 tanks and iOO lorries, and shot- downi 18. enemy aeroplanes.. . “liHthe region. of Novorossnsk a ferocious struggle ,1s going on with an enemy group which has,broken into the western'suburbs. One unit of Soviet was surrounded, but.it fought its-way out of the ring. Soviet artillery annihilated a German infantry battalion. ■ . .. ■ “In the Mozdok area the enemy is suffering large losses. _ German prisoners, belonging‘to the 370 th Inf an* try Division say thls divisiDn had many battalions destroyed.”'. Advance in Spite of Losses -,, ar-o'-pouring vinfdn'i ;trp' created' by theta tames fyest df|sMhgrad, says thp-Moscow, ■ TOta 1* 161 * losses inforceraekfii win£ a Check. -Whatever may he toe wltlr mate result of this ceaselessly raging battle of attrition it will .have made deep inroads ante teach side's .opera, tiprial reserves, which at this Stage ox the war cannot fail to have, a-perm-anent effect oh its future course.” ■ Yesterday's daylong brttie-resulted in deep wedges being established,, m the Russian lines,* The Red Army;, is striving to repeat the operation whereby it transformed such wedges north* west and south-west iof the c|ty into, sacks for the Germans, resulting m the destruction of 57 enemy tanks in the: south-west sector. . - j A German High Command .broadcast speaks of fairly strong Russian counter* - attacks, and states that they were receded by a heavy artillery preparation. These attacks were immediately followed by German counter-thrusts, The Russians put up a fierce resistance, and the large number of pillboxes and other fortifications made German, progress possible only in. small sections at, a time. There was also a heavy Rws* sian attack from the outside, north Pt the outer defence ring of Stalingrad-

The gigantic' battle eouth.wert Of Stalingrad is in its eighth day of la* cessgnt attacks, but so far it has tailed ■ to break the Russian lines, The Mos* cow correspondent of the "Daily Tele* graph” says: “A grand scale day and night battle has neon raging woes* , santly for 60 hours along the south* “■ western arc, Russian infantry are held* ing their lines in spite of the heaviest bombing and Shelling.” : The Moscow radio states .that Soviet, ■ troops north-wbst of Stalingrad bap* , tured a number of specified points, and killed 500 of the enemy. The Berlin radio, 'on the other hand, claims that • a German tank corps has reached tha Volga north of Stalingrad and 08* larged its territorial gains in face of heavy counterattacks, . . ■ A dispatch from Moscow reports thlt the first cold rains of autumn are sweeping the Stalingrad; battlefield*; r The Germans are launching a general attack on all sectors with even greater . tank units.* The rains have ended thi intense beat:which, accompanied the bloody battles., ■ They presage winter ° and i fi°ndWi«8 1 German Its' Samite of Novdrosdlsk Savagebattles are proceeding is • ' the. north-western /suburbs of Jyow»» / •rbpsiisk/ The 'Moscow correspondent , . of.-“ The Times’' says, the Rysst«» iff ( outnumbered heavily, hut,restated If/rV ( -r Germahv, onslaughts - yesterday, passed t&the counter-attackm sofflO - sectors. Th&Jted Air .Force foiled;«t»'* ' tempted landings in the NovoroMllsk V- ;:y ' '■ ■/; • '' r - Rattles on tbe. -soidh, bank of the i" Terekuriver, tb# - Caucasus : fhPt/Jhe jlfwr Rshev, arda hfjrihteh*lfled again gtfaf Vf/i several'days’ tall.' -. - ' * ’-v The 'Rerlln .corespondent .Pf ' Wfi. \ .. .Zurich ’The, Tatr* Hff S •*' ’ German nptwy. spokesman issued'» * V wpming r th'gt ‘tM RUssiin attacks In f-} the R?hcv!TeaVerehkcly-.to bjwm#;? v mpre severe; The. Russians are threw* "" ing in fresh 1 tropes alter MBMMlt* mg their positions* •, -

RUSSIAN AIR RAIDS

BUDAPEST, BERLIN AND KOENIGSBERG (Rec. 10 p.m.) LONDON, ■ Sept. 10. The Moscow radio announced that Russian bombers last night raided Rudapest, Berlin, Koenigsberg, and other east German towns. Thirty fires were caused in Budapest, 12 in Berlin, and 16 in Koenigsberg. Two Russian aeroplanes were Tost. The Red Air Force’s night offensive against eastern Germany and Hungary is under the command of LieutenantGeneral Golovanov. The “Daily Express” says General Golovanov leads a new section of the Red Air . Force corresponding to the British Bomber Command. The Russians fly enormous distances to their German targets—about double the average distance the R.A.F. covers in raiding Germany. This requires bombers of extraordinary petrol-carrying and other longrange qualities. The Russians are using their biggest bombers, which have a maximum bomb load of 80001b and carry 45001b for 2500 mijes. Their top speed is about 280 miles an hour. They are powerfully armed.

FINNISH HOPES FOR ARMISTICE

NEW YORK, Sept. 10. The “New York Post" reports that the Finnish Commander-in-Chief (Field-Marshal Mannerheim) will soon be retiring. He will be succeeded by General von Desch, whose prestige was enhanced recently because he is credited with having saved Finland the necessity of fighting a summer campaign, arguing that it was useless to undertake operations in the north if Hitler failed ip the south. General von Oesch and the Finnish people, it is reported, hope to maintain the present stagnation on the RussianPinnish lines until it cap be transformed into an armistice.

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INCRfiAPS GKANTJID IN BRITAIN i (8.0.w.) rugbv,. September jp; Further increases in pay and fllowances amounting to a total pf £43,w0i009 •: a year for the three flghtmg,fprvicf J were announced by Sir ' n in the House Of C&mmow.. was the duty of the satisfy itself that the saUors. fioldieTA ; and airmen bad sufficient pay coVff . •''! their own requirements and eneygn td ? '«•' provide adequately for their wive# ifamiliesi Sir Stafford said the first and main increase was in the basic pay of a)} ,■ other ranks in all the forces. It was proposed to double the wap' inereM|. , V; already given. creasing the basic pay' by JO pep cent • For all men the war increase would be 7s in place of 3s fid, and for women a ’ pro rata increase by 2$ 4d. That would bring the cash payment to any man in xi the forces up to 21s a week instead fit 17s 6d. In addition to the flat increase, allowances for children would be increased, The total weekly increases, ~ including the flat rate for a married .. man with one child would be 4s,fid, Slid for a married man with two childrill 6s 6d, and so on, ' Junior officers’ peripd of promotion . • . between second-ljeutenant and Hfn- . tenant in the Army, and flying offiflf and pilot officer in the Royal A?P FopCi. ■' wpuld be shortened, and they would receive an increase of a shilling a day ' In the allowance for childj e n. The Government contended that with these rates of pay the normal soldier and officer would be able to keep his family in reasonable comfort. After Sir Stafford Cripps had Iff-- 1 nounced the increases, several speakers expressed dissatisfaction that they'had PQt been more substantial. ■ Mr L. Hore-Belisha, a former Seere- 1 tary of State for War, said he did not ■ think that the increases could bn accepted as stabilised increases related to the cost of living. It could not ho accepted as final. The country ought to look at the Army pay from a new angle and relate it to the circumstances pf civil life. He advocated that the Government should make the maxi- ... mum i llowanee’ for the lowest paid soldier £5 or £6 weekly. Mr Arthur Greenwood, said that the Labour Party did not regard the pro. posals as providing a satisfactory settlement, and there was little hope that