Street Fighting Continues

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23748, 21 September 1942, Page 5

Street Fighting Continues

HEAVY LOSSES ON H' BOTH SIDES (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright.) (Rec. 11 p-m.) LONDON, September 20. Fierce hand-to-hand fighting in the streets of the northwest sector of Stalingrad is repotted in the latest Soviet communique. An important height commanding much of the Stalingrad area, which was recaptured by the Russians a few days ago, is still held by them, in face of heavy German counterattacks. German tanks are still battering at the barricades set up in the streets by the Russians. The casualties in the street fighting ar® very high on both sides. Soviet riflemen destroyed two battalions of German infantry, as well as many tanks. and vehicles.

Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says the Germans on September 18 strengthened their grip on the north-western outskirts of Stalingrad and succeeded in establishing themselves in certain streets.

The British United Press correspondent at Moscow states: "The situation at Stalingrad has grown worse. Fighting is now going on for the city itself.”

“Pravda” says: “The fighting for Stalingrad has reached a climax of intensity. Every yard of the German advance is heaped high with enemy corpses. The enemy is suffering tremendous losses. The Russians fight on even when encircled. They are determined to hold the city. The German Command wants the city at any price; and has even transferred to Stalingrad air units which were recently operating in the west and also in North Africa.”

A Berlin high command spokesman says the Germans as well as the Russians are using bayonets and knives in fierce hand-to-hand struggles in the streets of Stalingrad. German shock troops, using hand grenades and naked steel, are pushing the fiercely-resisting Russians further towards the centre of the city. The Luftwaffe is dropping bombs of all calibres on railway installations, water towers, and houses which have been franiformed into fortresses.

The Jaws of the giant German pincers have bitten into the north-west-erft and south-western suburbs of the sprawling city,, but so far they have not penetrated deeply. The Germans are exerting an enormous effort to bring them together. The Luftwaffe is keeping up a merciless bombing. There is fierce fighting along the broad avenue leading from the northwest suburbs into Stalingrad, and on (he ground above the Volga to the D The Moscow correspondent of the “Daily Express" says: “The pressure on Stalingrad is heaviest from the I 'itth. .The Germans are preparing to A%r4he tank factories and motor • / Which the Luftwaffe has bombed for 24 hours. Sco. ,d of very heavy Russian guns are defending the area. At least 1000 German aeroplanes are attacking Stalingrad. The Russians have not the slightest illusion about Stalingrad s fate, but assert that they will defend it to the last man.” The Moscow correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” states that shortly before dawn on Friday enemy detachments broke into the city’s streets and fought like devils to stay there. German soldiers armed with tommy-guns raked the streets- in which the Russians massed to recapture the houses. Darkness was falling before the Germans were driven out. Hundreds of dead and dying from both sides Uttered the streets. “Russian air reinforcements have arrived and fighters and bombers are increasingly attacking Genpan positions and communications,” states the British United Press correspondent at Moscow. “The Russians were forced to fall back when a number of houses

forcements are en route to the Caucasus, Leningrad, and Rzhev. Reuter’s correspondent reports that German parachute troops have been dropped at dusk from troop-carrying aircraft all over the terrain before the city, and in the outskirts. The Germans have had time* to bring up medium and long-range guns to the outskirts of Stalingrad, where they are adding their weight to the tremendous bombardment from the air.

“The battle for Stalingrad has entered the final phase, which may be a prolonged, sa-age struggle in which many things may eventuate,” declared the Moscow radio, which states that the Germans are putting pressure on every sector of the city’s front. “The Red Army stands fast and its morale is high,” adds the radio. German Claims The German Official News Agency claims that German troops, after bitter street fighting, have captured several, districts in Stalingrad city. Berlin correspondents of Swedish newspapers report a grim note in German front line dispatches, their quotations including: “Our ranks are thinning. We advance across steppes covered with German graves. Russian artillery and aeroplanes constantly shower bombs upon us, and tanks attack from the flanks. Through this inferno our storming infantry must go. It Is a veritable hell. Doctors work until they collapse.” According to the Vichy radio the Russians are defending Stalingrad with unparalleled fanaticism. Battalions of Russian women are fighting alongside men in the streets.

The Paris radio is reiterating that the Germans have passed through the centre of Stalingrad and reached the Volga. It adds that the fighting in the city has become a huge muddle, with forces jammed between the ruins of houses and factories. Caucasus Front

were in flames, but when it became possible to approach the area again they reoccupied it. The Germans are frying to cut off the north-west from the rest of the town to give them a free passage down a small river leading to the Volga.” Both Sides Reinforced The extent to which the opposing forces can be reinforced is engaging the attention of commentators. It is considered that the Germans have the advantage, because, while the Russians are bringing in excellent Siberian troops, they have to be ferried across the Volga. The Germans are making

In the Mozcok area of the Caucasus German tank forces have suffered a further set-back. The Moscow correspondent of the "News Chronicle” says the whole campaign in the Mozdok area has been unsatisfactory to the Germans. Three tank forces were employed in the operations at the Terek river. One was totally unable to cross. The second got across, but was pinned against the riverbank. The third tried to drive towards Ordzhonikidze, but this also has been held. In the Mozdok area the Russians are gradually gaining the upper hand in spite of German reserve? brought up from the deep rear. Two German infantry divisions are said to have been completely smashed on this front, and two panzer divisions suffered terrible losses.

considerable use of transport aeroplanes to bring in reinforcements. Although the Germans have apparently succeeded in investing the city, semiofficial German quarters admit that the struggle may be prolonged for many days. , It is reported from Moscow that among the new Siberian reinforcements which have reached Stalingrad are large numbers of workers from the Urals, who are famous for their fighting qualities, particularly in winter campaigns. Other Siberian rein-

A message from Moscow states that the German drive south-east of Novorossiisk has been halted. The Germans were forced to retreat in one .sector after abandoning three mountain passes.

OFFENSIVE AT VORONEZH

captured nine mortars and 10 machineguns. On Thursday the Russians captured a locality, killing 1300 enemy troops, and capturing prisoners and booty. North of Voronezh the Russians penetrated the enemy defences. Fierce fighting is proceeding, the Russians having captured pill-boxes and silenced a number of batteries. The Soviet air force is supporting the ground The Russians have captured important heights on the west bank of the Don, and also in the northern suburbs of an unnamed town. The Germans lost 3000 killed and taken prisoner. On the Bryansk front Soviet troops threw the Germans out of an inhabited locality. They destroyed one company of German infantry and took much booty. The Germans are launching incessant infantry, tank, and air attacks at Rzhev in attempting to hold up General Zhukov’s offensive, but the Russians in one day of the fiercest fighting captured 10 strong points, 26 pillboxes, and killed 900 Germans. On the Sinyavino sector of the Volkhov front the Russians have had further successes, the Germans suffering heavy losses of tanks and infantry in counter-attacks. A Finnish communique reports fierce fighting north of Lake Onega, where the Russians have been hurling m fresh forces against the‘Finnish lines for the last three days. The communique claims that all attacks were repulsed. Reuter's correspondent m Moscow states that there has been increased air and naval activity in the Baltic. In snowstorms German transports were attacked by Russian aeroplanes while in port and a German naval base was raided.

RUSSIAN GAINS ACTIVITY ON OTHER FRONTS (Hec. 10 p.m.) LONDON. Sept. 19. .The Russians have taken the offence at Voronezh. According to correspondents in Moscow, they launched a large-scale offensive from four directions, with attacks northwards of Voronezh as well as southwards, where me Russians are firmly astride the Don, with well-established positions on the westS-«k. ..The Hjfcjlrtjns encountered strong •yerman but they have already one inhabited place and inflic heavy losses in men and War materials. The Germans are stubbornly defending strongly fortified Positions made un of a close network of blockhouses, well wired and studded with minefields, They are also fredhently counter-attacking. The Moscow radio says fierce fightJh4 is going on south of Voronezh. On me west bank of the Don the Russians are dealing heavy blows against the ene »y. Air combats are occurring continuously. “Pravda” says the Germans are throwing in fresh reseryes brought from the occupied countries, but they are being cut up immediately they go into battle. The Russians are slowly but steadily advancing. Germans and Hungarians taken prisoner south of Voronezh state that the Axis losses generally are extremely high. Moscow gave details on Saturday morning of the operations around Vo-ronezh-south of Voronezh, on the western bank of the Don, the Russians are inflicting heavy blows and attacking heavily-fortified German positions. The Nazis are offering stubborn resistance, and launching counter-attacks. German losses of men and material are very great. In one place a motorised infantry attack was overwhelmed and the Russians annihilated 500 of the enemy. Another Red Army unit wiped out two companies of Germans, and

Bread Price In Britain.—To encourage British housewives to use more potatoes from the pood crop, and so save wheat flour, the price of bread has been increased by a penny for each four-pound loaf. The price of potatoes has been reduced to an average of a penny a pound, which will be maintained during the main crop season. The price of bread since October, 1941, has been 3d for a four-pound loaf.—London, September 19.