ENEMY GAINS AT STALINGRAD

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23752, 25 September 1942, Page 5

ENEMY GAINS AT STALINGRAD

Strong Resistance Of Russians Counter-attack NORTH OF CITY

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright.) (Rec. 11-20 p.m.) LONDON, September 24. Against an encouraging development in the Russian counter-offensive north-west of Stalingrad must be set a further deterioration in the city proper, where the Germans have increased their grip on the built-up area. The Soviet midday communique reports only that Russian troops engaged the enemy during the night at Stalingrad and in the Mozdok area of the Caucasus. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent describes a heavy enemy attack as the biggest street battle to date. Two hundred German tanks, accompanied by 2000 or 3000 infantry, broke into the centre of the city, assisted by an artillery barrage and air bombardment. The Germans were met by Soviet Guards, and 12 attacks were repulsed, 42 tanks being knocked out. The defenders held their ground.

North-west of Stalingrad the Russians are keeping up the pressure of their large-scale counter-attack, and have recaptured a village. The Germans retreated, hard-pressed by Russian tanks. Moscow reports state that repeated attacks have been repulsed at Stalingrad, and at one point the Germans were dislodged from a fortified position.

In the Mozdok area of the Caucasus the Germans are still held, although some reports state that the Germans are preparing for a new large-scale assault. On the Black Sea coast an attack by considerable German forces was repelled. The Russians in one area pushed the Germans back some distance.

The Moscow correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” says the Germans captured two streets in southern Stalingrad yesterday morning, and stormed several more this afternoon. They used a strong force of shock infantry, which poured into a breach prepared by 100 tanks. “It is obviously disquieting,” says the correspondent, ‘‘to see how massed tanks, against which no complete defence has yet been found, can still, by sheer weight, barge into an area where the Russians cannot afford to lose much ground. Once the Germans are in a thoroughly built-up area it is a different story. Streets are changing hands time after time. “German assaults have been repulsed everywhere else along the defence area, The Russians are still regaining ground in the north-western suburbs. They are not merely nibbling at the dreadfully dangerous German wedge, but are heavily attacking at crucial points."

continues to inflict terrific damage. Huge fires are burning night and day. The Russians are using every trick they know to hold the enemy in Stalingrad’s suburban .streets. Every scrap of cover—newspaper booths, overturned buses, and sandbags—is being held by machine-gunners. Buildings, street corners, and crossings are the scene of particularly bitter fighting. Two enemy retreats are claimed in Wednesday’s midnight Russian communique. one at Mozdok and the other at Voronezh. In the Caucasus

The Germans in the Mozdok region are apparently preparing another large-scale attempt to break through to Groznyi. According to the Vichy radio the Germans have reached the bend of the Terek river, enabling them to ’neutralise the defence system around the Groznyi oilfields and also opening the way for a direct attack against the military road across the Caucasus. The Russians at present have the situation in hand south of Novorossiisk, but Axis reinforcements are moving up from the-Crimea. Heavy fighting is going on west and north-west and south-west of, Moscow, and also at Lake Ladoga, on the Volkhov river, and on the Karelian isthmus. South-east of Leningrad all German attempts to retake lost positions have failed.

Progress of Counter-offensive lAJluy co-ordination of all Russian 1 is reported to be exceptional;®: ood in the counter-offensive north-west of Stalingrad, says another Moscow message. Powerful and sustained German counter-attacks, supported by a vigorous Luftwaffe effort, have so far not halted a steady advance by waves of Soviet riflemen, strongly supported by tanks, artillery, and aeroplanes. The Moscow correspondent of “The Times” says: “The most satisfactory feature of this Russian counter-offen-sive is the activity of Russian aviation. Russian aeroplanes arc in such strength that their lighters were able to cover their infantry during consolidation, and break up large formations of divebombers, while others were heavily attacking the enemy lines and also seriously Interfering with supply columns. Stormoviks,, aided by artillery, smashed a convoy of 200 tanks and 500 vehicles which was moving to the front after crossing the Don.”

A Moscow report says a German submarine in the Barents Sea sank two tugboats and two barges several miles from the shore, and slaughtered 710 Russian women, children, and students. The submarine, after torpedoing the vessels, shelled and machinegunned the lifeboats into which the survivors scrambled. It then rode down the survivors, who were clinging to pieces of wreckage, and finally followed the few left who were making for the shore, and machine-gunned them.

The Stockholm correspondent of the British United Press reports that Hitler is building an east wall in Russia. It is not a continuous line, but is a series of strong citadels controlling aerodromes. The citadels are sometimes as much as 30 miles apart. Each will hold a division, with food for the winter. What Russians Face

"Red Star” states that the Russians north-west of Stalingrad are inexorably sweeping back the Germans. They have broken through the German line of outer defences, recaptured a height, and established themselves across an important road. The Germans, alarmed at the Russian progress, are now swinging men and machines to this area.

The Moscow correspondent of the “News Chronicle” states that three things dominate the Russian mind, in view of the approaching wintercasualties, food, and fuel. “There is hardly a family throughout the length and breadth of this wide land which is not either mourning the death or mutilation of its man, or living day after day on the razor edge of apprehension,” he states. “While there will be no shortage of necessary nourishment on the military and industrial fronts, millions of Russians face a winter of very great privation. There is a shortage of fuel, due to loss of mines and lack of labour and transport. While there will be enough for essential services, there will not be enough for the people’s homes.

/ Batteries of Russian field guns, stfetching in an immense curve behind Stalingrad, some standing almost wheel to wheel, are pouring a stream of shells Into the German reinforcements coming up to join in the battle for the city. Stalingrad on Wednesday entered its thirtieth day of battle, with the Germans having gained some streets at bitter cost. After ferocious fighting amid the city’s blazing ruins on Tuesday night the Germans, supported by 100 tanks, pressed Russian units back and succeeded in holding several streets. In all other parts of the city and outside it repeated German onalaughts have been beaten off. The tempo of the street fighting at Stalingrad is mounting in fury as both sides throw in more armour. Every spot of cover is being used. While tanks from both sides crash along the shell-marked pavements, the Luftwaffe

“There will be no collapse, but is it any wonder that they resent relief being so long withheld, that they are bitter, and that they do not think much of their allies?”

The Moscow correspondent of the “Daily Herald” says: "The Russians do not think of us as allies in the full sense of the word. They will not do so until a second front is opened.”