Growing Tension At Stalingrad

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23749, 22 September 1942, Page 5

Growing Tension At Stalingrad

GERMANS HELD ON OTHER SECTORS

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright.) (Rec. 11 p.ni.) LONDON, September 21. Tension at Stalingrad is growing every hour. There is no mention of any further German advance in the latest Soviet communique, which states: “During the night our troops fought the enemy in the area of Stalingrad and in the Mozdok region of the Caucasus.” A supplementary Soviet communique says that a "fierce battle continues at Stalingrad, with Soviet units taking a big toll of German infantry and artillery, some tanks also being destroyed. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says the Germans by superior forces have succeeded in getting nearer the city in several sectors. The roads are littered with, wrecked German equipment and with German dead.

German attacks in the Mozdok area of the Caucasus have been repelled. Near Novorossiisk Russian artillery and mortars have broken up several German thrusts. 4

On the Voronezh front the Russians are keeping up their pressure on the German bridgeheads east of the Don.

Sunday night’s Soviet communique states; “Our troops to-day engaged the enemy in fierce fighting in the Stalingrad region and in the Mozdok area. There were no important changes elsewhere, During the week ending on September 19 300 German aeroplanes were destroyed in the air and on the ground. We lost 205 aircraft in the same period. One enemy destroyer was sunk in the Black Sea.” A supplementary communique adds; "In the Stalingrad area the enemy was thrown back in several sectors and l number of places were recaptured by our men. who destroyed a number of guns, vehicles, and machine-guns. An enemy attack by tommy-gunners was repulsed and a German attempt to outflank our forces failed. "Fierce fighting continues in the Mozdok area. A company of enemy infantry was here disposed of by our cavalry.” Weight of German Attacks The tide of German men and machines is still ceaselessly dashing against Stalingrad, but the Stockholm correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph* reported on Sunday night that powerful and sustained Russian coun-ter-attacks had halted the German advance, The Germans made slight gains during the day at enormous cost, but the Russians restored most of their positions by nightfall. The simile of a battering ram is now exactly applicable to the tight columns of tanks with which Marshal tfon Bock Is pounding away at the stone, brick, concrete, and steel of the city’s defence system. Sometimes as many as 100 tanks advanced against the street barricades, closely followed by ma-chine-gunners and tommy-gunners. Almost point-blank engagements are reported Between Russian artillery and German troops. While the battering rams hammer away at selected points hundreds of small hand-to-hand engg\ counters are raging elsewhere along RKjf.be perimeter. The Axis arc round - Btalingrad is becoming thicker and denser as the Germans bring up more heavy guns and mortars. ■ The Moscow correspondent of The Times” says the Russians are frequently attacking, in spite of German numerical superiority, and small areas are changing hands rapidly in the critical north-western sector. t "Clearly the issue will be decided by the will and strength of the participants to endure a battle without respite. Marshal von Bock is doing his utmost to forestall Russian regrouping within the city. At the same time the Russians are using areas they still hold'outside the city to keep out fresh German formations by frequent coun-ter-attack and manoeuvre.” The Germans are throwing in fresh tank divisions against Stalingrad, and a special squadron of German air aces is attacking the city’s defences. In spite of all these efforts the Germans have not succeeded in achieving any new progress, but the Moscow radio states that the situation* remains extremely tense. The heaviest fighting is still gomg on in the north-west suburbs of the city, where every yard gained by the Germans is costing them mounting numbers of casualties. After the enemy had been thrown out of one street more than 400 dead were counted. A Russian front line correspondent said that the Russians won back a street by setting fire to the houses which the Germans were fortifying. As the Germans ran out of the blazing houses they were mown down by the Soviet troops. Moscow radio states that the Russians are incessantly counter-attack-ing. A front line dispatch describes the slaughter of 1000 more Germans in a sector where they launched a fierce attack supported by tanks and aeroplanes. The Germans reached Stalingrad’s southern suburbs, but they were repulsed. “Pravda” states that the Russians are steadfast in their refusal to accept the fall of Stalingrad as a foregone conclusion. Little remains of the modern city but battered hulks of buildings in a sea of rubble, but the defenders are fighting with an almost religious devotion and are taking a merciless toll of the Axis forces. Enemy Aims The Germans now seem to be trying to block off part of the city by an attempted push to the bank of the Volga. Around the fortress the Germans hold two-thirds of Stalingrad, states the Vichy radio. Steady rain for three days has created mud which is holding up the German advance. The German corridor now cuts the Rus- , sians into two main groups northwards and southwards of Stalingrad. Russian artillery from beyond the Volga is also holding up the Germans, who are attacking the east bank with the object of dislodging these batteries. A writer in the "Sunday Observer expresses the view that the battle lor Stalingrad has already decided this year’s eastern campaign. He thinks that it is hardly premature to say that whatever the tactical outcome of the battle, it has foiled the strategic design of the German High Command. The main object of the Germans’ Russian campaign, the crippling of Russian offensive power, has not been achieved and this failure, in view of sacrifices incurred, is shattering As a result of this summer s operations, given even the conquest of Stalingrad, the German defensive position in Russia has palpably deteriorated. The Stockholm correspondent of “The Times” says the Russian flank attack north of the German corridor between the Don and the Volga, north of Stalingrad, flagged during the weekend without achieving great successes. There is evidence that now a more determined effort is being prepared in this area. Caucasus Drive Held In the eastern Caucasus the German drive towards the Grozny! oilfields is still held and all the latest German attacks have been repulsed. The Terek river sector has developed into a major battle area._ The Germans still hold part of the'south bank, but their crossings are under heavy air and artillery attack. German attempts to widen their bridgehead proved costly failures. The Germans have lost three passes |p the Caucasus, where Russian sharpshooters deeply infiltrated behind Ger-

Voronezh Offensive

FINLAND’S DESIRE FOR PEACE

man outposts along the mountain trails and forest paths. General von Kleist's tank army suffered heavily in the Mozdok fighting. The Germans attempted a breakthrough to the south-westwards on the southern bank of the Terek river. General von Kleist apparently hoped to force the main Caucasus range to Tiflis before the snows fell. The 23rd Tank Division, the last of General von Kleist’s 40th Tank Corps, was flung in and it advanced a short distanoe for the loss of several dozen tanks. The Germans then threw the 3rd and 13th Tank Divisions across a shallow mountain strean> also the 370 th and 111 th Infantry Divisions. The Russians completely cut up the 370 th Infantry Division. the 3rd Tank Division, and a regiment of the 111 th Infantry. They also inflicted heavy casualties on other enemy units. The Germans advanced seven mi}es, but subsequently were pushed back from the area occupied in this advance. They lost at least 65 tanks in the attempted breakthrough. The Germans deny Russian claims that General von Kleist was killed on the Mozdok front. The Moscow correspondent of the "Daily Express” says General von Kleist crossed the Terek river to inspect defence works. He was standing in a tank hatch when he was shot through the head by a Soviet sniper. It was the best shot of the war.

. Moscow messages state that the Russian offensive on a broad front on the upper Don is developing favourably. The Russians made new advances during the week-end. in spite of German counter-attacks, which were particularly sharp in the Voronezh area. A four-pronged Russian offensive was launched at Voronezh on September 16 when several positions were taken. The northernmost prong by-passed a dense defensive area. The second prong captured heights west of the Don and made new advances on the night of September 18, and also on the morning of September 19. The advance is continuing through thicklywooded country. . The Russians are pushing strongly westwards in the Voronezh area, and are inflicting exceptionally heavy losses on the enemy. Heavy street fighting is also going on in an unnamed town near Voronezh where the Russians are cleaning up’ house after house. The Germans on the northern part of the Voronezh front are doing their utmost to relieve their garrison, which Russian troops, supported by tanks, threaten with extermination. , . . . Practically the whole front is active between Voronezh and Leningrad, but there are no nc v ' significant developmerits , , Fighting continues on the Sinyavmo sector of the Volkhov front. The Germans have brought up reserves, but their counter-attacks have been beaten 0f Enemy attacks on the Karelian front were beaten off with heavy losses. Soviet marines landed behind the enemy lines, doing considerable damage.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20. “Finland wants to cease fighting as snnnas the'threat to her existence_ has been averted and guarantees obtained for lasting security.” . This statement was made th T ? Finnish Legation in Washington. It added: “In diplomatic discussions and in the foreign press the possibility of a separate peace between Russia has been suggested. However, no peace proposal has been mado to F The" United States State Department maintains that the conversation m August between the United States Assistant Secretary of State (Mr Sumner Welles) and the Finnish Minister (M Procope) was a bona fide step towards peace, but the department refused to comment on the Finnish Legation’s statement.

Enemy Aliens Arrested in U.S.—The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation has seized 14 Italians and 18 Germans in western Pennsylvania, and also contraband, including shortwave radios, rifles, pistols, dynamite, burglar’s tools, and nhotographs of Hitler, Goering. and Goebbels. An official described three of the prisoners as very wealthy persons.—New York. September 20.