THE BATTLE FOR STALINGRAD

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23753, 26 September 1942, Page 5

THE BATTLE FOR STALINGRAD

Russian Stand Against / Odds

I IMPROVEMENT IN j NORTH-WEST

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright.) (Rfec. 11 P- ni -) LONDON, September 25. Furious street fighting continues at Stalingrad, with the Russians beating off incessant attacks. . Outside the city, bei tween the Don and the Volga, the Russians have held their re- ! cen t gains in face of German counter-attacks. The Soviet midI jay communique states: “Russian troops fought the enemy in the Stalingrad area, and in the areas of Mozdok, in the Caucasus, and Sinyavino, south-east of Leningrad.” ! Reuter’s correspondent at Moscow says the Germans are faking strenuous efforts to capture a main thoroughfare that iruns right across Stalingrad to the Volga. They are throwing in I masses of tanks and infantry. The Russians are maintaining jl their stand against great odds. I North-west of Stalingrad the Germans have established i strong defence lines from the Don to the Volga, but in the last j f eW - days Marshal Timoshenko’s forces have captured a numi ler of German positions and have straddled a main highway. The Soviet communique says German counter-attacks in this area have b<?en repulsed.

In the Mozdok area of the Caucasus the Germans, with S large force of tanks, tried to drive a wedge into the Russian positions, but the attacks were driven of this front Rumanian troops were routed. Earlier reports said the Russians had to give way in one sector. Near the Black gea coast Soviet Guards have been in action to stem the German drive towards Tuapse.

Thursday night’s supplementary Soviet communique says; “Many fierce German attacks in the Stalingrad area are being beaten off. North-west of the city the Russians continued their offensive operation, and advanced in some sectors. German attempts to regain a strategic height recently retaken bv the Russians were defeated with heavy enemy losses. Thirty-five tanks ’were destroyed and an infantry battalion was wiped out.” “A Military Miracle”

point and captured a populated place in the neighbourhood of Stalingrad. Another im, two weeks exterminated two German'and Rumanian battalions. “Red Star,” giving an eye-witness account of life in Stalingrad, states that the Volga continues to link the beleaguered city with the rest of Russia in bringing up reserves and supplies. Stalingrad itself is described as a grey, smoky city charred by battle. There are no safe areas, but everyone is used to the danger. The majority of the Russian wounded are being paddled across the Volga, as it is impossible to run hospitals in the flaming city. Some of the bakeries and restaurants, however, are still working. The German propaganda agency In Stockholm reveals that the Russians are bringing up reinforcements across the Den at Voronezh and across the Volga at Stalingrad across “invisible bridges.” The agency attributed the Russian successes to the use of dozens of these bridges, which are built a few inches below water level. They are invisible from the air and the Russians traverse them under cover of fog and darkness. Italian troops discovered the bridges whert they saw the Russians apparently walking on the water. Pressure in Mozdok Area The Germans have not slackened their pressure in the Mozdok area or on the Black Sea coast south-east of Novorossiisk, but they made no progress in the Mozdok area yesterday, in spite of bringing in fresh reserves.

“The position in the north-western suburbs of Stalingrad has improved out of recognition during the last two days,” reports the correspondent of the "Daily Express” in Moscow. He adds: “It is something approaching a military miracle, which the whole world should acknowledge with the deepest gratitude. . “The Germans had driven a very dangerous wedge into the north-west-era suburbs, but much of it has now been hammered out. Meanwhile, the Russians are edging southward into the German corridor between the Don and the Volga, north of Stalingrad. No changes are reported in other sectors of the Stalingrad perimeter. . “Developments during the last tew days, however, do not mean that the battle for Stalingrad has yet been decided. The Germans are still hammering away, and still bringing up reinforcements from their seemingly limitless reserves, as they demonstrated in their massive attacks to-day by 200 tanks in one small sector.” “Red Star” states that the fighting at Stalingrad js the most intense yet, with increasing German artillery and air attacks. One Russian tank unit repelled a German attempt to break into Stalingrad' from the south. The attack was launched by German heavy tanks covered by big iair umbrellas with assault troops following up the tanks at the double. Russian tanks broke up the German ;tank formation, destroyed 34 tanks and a number of lorries, and killed a

“In the Mozdok area of the Caucasus Soviet artillery and mortar units inflicted heavy losses on enemy tank and infantry forces, which are reported to have been reinforced,” states Thursday night's Soviet communique. “In one engagement 12 German tanks were destroyed and a company of German automatic riflemen was annihilated. Other losses were inflicted in other engagements. Nevertheless, after fierce fighting, the Russians were compelled to withdraw in one sector." Russian pressure has. forced the Germans to discontinue their offensive in the northern Caucasus mountains and give up several positions they had occupied. The Russians, in spite’of German infiltrating tactics with alpine troops, managed to hold on to important heights and passes, and the deteriorating weather has bogged down the Germans. Very fierce fighting continues, but the Russians are apparently now on top. The situation on the Black Sea coast, where the Germans are massing large forces, remains serious. Voronezh and Northern Areas

“ large number of shock troops. “Red Star’s” front line ' corresponr J : dent, vividly describing the Stalingrad holocaust, states: “The horizon is covI ered with the great glare from the 3 burning city.. Tongues of flame are f/ dancing everywhere. The sky is full ! of burning ashes. Whole streets have i‘ disappeared and debris and shattered i German bombers litter the ground. ) The Germans are doing their utmost to [ create a, living hell, but ferry boats [land other craft are still rushing reinflforcements and supplies across the Jriver, in spite of terrific air attacks.” g One of Stalingrad’s main buildings, a which had been occupied by German 3 tommy-gunners, was the centre of a ijlong battle. The Germans, firing from lathe windows and the roof, controlled H'the approaches from all sides. The Russians decided to blow up the boildirjing, and five men, each carrying 501b i j of dynamite, approached under an m- : j tensive fire, and, with a terrific, deaf-i-f eninjj roar, the giant building blew up, !- burying hundreds of Germans. - After Russian bombers, escorted by ; fighters, had carried out heavy attacks, 1 and under the protection of a powerful artillery barrage, the Russians launched several attacks north-west ■ of Stalingrad. The enemy counter-attacked on some sectors, but was repelled. The Russians broke into three villages and continue to press the Germans hard. The attack yesterday to the north-west of Stalingrad was simultaneous in several sectors, and it was .preceded by heavy air raids and intense artillery fire, after which Soviet tanks crashed through the first line of German defences and pressed forward in the face of a fierce resistance. Volga Flotilla Active The Russian Volga flotilla is actively supporting the defenders of Stalingrad. Izvestia” says the flotilla is sweeping bp enemy mines and harassing <he enemy on the river bank. One flotTla Sroup made a surprise landing at one

The Germans in three big counterattacks at Voronezh lost more than 1500 killed and were forced back to their original positions, German _ tanks wiped out a battalion of Austrians on this front. The Austrians broke under the Russian fire, and the German tanks, which were sent on to follow them, fired on them from behind. The Stockholm correspondent of “The Times’’ reports that Voronezh, Rzhev, and Sinyavino are still centres of unrelaxed heavy fighting. The Leningrad garrison has apparently made substantial headway in the last few days in its attempts to link up with the main Russian Army. The latest German reports mention the Neva river crossings and hits on Russian lorries east of it. This implies that the Russians have established bridgeheads across the Neva. There are no fresh details of the action at Sinyavino. south-east of Stalingrad. but the Soviet midnight communique said powerful German attacks had been beaten off. Fierce fighting took place as the enemy attempted to drive a wedge into the Soviet defences. The Russian Air Force on the Leningrad front has for the first time encountered massed formations of Italian Fiat and Caproni aircraft. Eighteen Italian aeroplanes were shot down in five encounters.

FOOD RESTRICTIONS IN BRITAIN REVIEW OF RATIONED GOODS LONDON, Sept. 24. The British Minister of Food (Lord Woolton) warned Britain in a broadcast to-day that belts must be tightened still further in the coming 12 months. If Britain were to win the war the greatest sacrifices were to expected from civilians, and though none would go hungry, it was essential that civilian consumption of foodstuffs should be cut down. There would be enough for everyone, and he reminded listeners that their health now was every bit as good as it was before the war. Lord Woolton said he did not intend to make any alteration in the national l0 “We are not short of bread in this country. There is no nation in Europe whose stocks of bread are so assured as ours. The reason I want the people to eat more potatoes is because I want to save shipping space, which would be taken up by the replacement of bread stocks we use up.” Explaining the doubling of the cheese ration. Lord Woolton said he had allocated extra supplies to permit the housewife to experiment with cheese dishes because meat imports demanded fast ships. ...... ' Lord Woolton added that there was no prospect of an increase in the egg ration. Beer would not be rationed.

Meat Rationing In D.S.—'The United States War Production Board has announced that meat rationing will begin within three weeks. Each person will receive two and a half pounds weekly.—New York, September 24-

UNITED NATIONS’ AIRCRAFT

greater production THAN ENEMY (Rec. 10.30 p.ln.) LOS ANGELES, Sept. 24. The combined military aircraft production of Britain and America in September will exceed the total output °£ Germany, Italy, and Japan by 25 Per cent., according to Mr Merrell Meigs, a War Production Board official, tvho has arrived with the British air mission. Mr Alexander Dunbar, a British Aircraft Ministry official, declared: “Your Lockheed Hudson bomber has been a godsend to us. In the last two years me Curtiss Kittyhawk fighters -supplied for the Middle East let us keep the Spitfires for home, where they are needed. Altogether, British and American aeroplanes fighting side by side make a wonderful team." .WORKERS' MUNITION PLANT { LONDON, Sept. 24. City workers of a large block of London offices are running their own munition works in a basement at night. Executives, secretaries, typists, lift boys, and messengers, working together, have in eight weeks completed • quarter of a contract for 6000 sets of farts. Each worker gives a night each week 6 p.m. to midnight, and then •eeps on the premises. The workers •r* officially recognised as sub-con-♦actors. Arrangements are being made wt similar schemes in other offices.