RUSSIANS HOLD GROUND

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23789, 7 November 1942, Page 5

RUSSIANS HOLD GROUND

Fierce Fighting At Nalchik

ENEMY DRIVE TO OILFIELDS

(N.Z. Press Association— Copyright.) (Rec. 11 p.m.) LONDON. Nov. 6, Reporting fighting at Stalingrad and In the areas north-east of Tuapse and south-east of Nalchik, Friday’s Soviet midday conununnioue says that on all sectors the Russians are still holding the Germans and in some places have improved their positions. In the central Caucasus, at Nalchik, the Russians inflicted heavy damage on the Germans in fierce fighting. In this area the Russians have yielded • little ground in a ■ week’s, fighting. The Germans have made no further advance In their two-pronged drive towards the Grozny! oilfields. They are firmly held at Mozdok. North-east of Tuapse ‘the Russians have made further, limited gains and recaptured a number of heights In face of strong opposition. * They have repelled fierce counter-attacks.

Although the Russians still regard the situation in the central Caucasus as alarming, there have been no territorial changes, and Vladikavkaz remains in Russian hands, although the Germans are approaching, it and the Luftwaffe is trying its usual smashing methods. Vladikavkaz is the most important stronghold after Nalchik on the German right flank. Axis reports say the Germans are within 13 miles of Vladikavkaz (Ordzhonokidze). The Vichy radio says: "Vladikavkaz can now only be supplied from the Grosnyi area, which 5s itself threatened. The Luftwaffe has started a systematic bombing of the outer defences of Vladikavkaz, and of the town itself in preparation for -he assault.' The Vichy radio added that German armoured units and infantry, striking east from Alagirskaya, yesterday occupied part of the Georgian highway. Reports to Moscow, however, record no recent German progress in this area. Russian reports nevertheless emphasise the strength of the ceaseless German attacks to the east, south, and south-east of the Nalchik area, where, as in the Mozdok area, the Germans are concentrating big tank groups with massive air support against narrow sectors, “Red Star” states that battles are raging for every inch of ground. The Central Caucasus is now the scene of the fiercest fighting in Russia. Here the Germans have launched a twin drive on the Grozny! oilfields, but in the 24 hours up to midday Thursday they made little progress. The enemy advance south-eastwards from Nalchik is being stubbornly contested by the Russians who, about 200 miles away north-east' of Tuapse, are themselves advancing and inflicting heavy losses. North-east of Tuapse an enemy group has been surrounded. A message from Moscow, referring to the Tuapse fighting, states that the Germans are hurriedly bringing up reserves to meet the Russian advance. Meanwhile, the Luftwaffe is trying to fill the gap by dropping as many as 500 bombs a day on this narrow sector. Especially heavy losses have been suffered by the 10th German Mountain Division, most of whose 10,000 casualties in Russia have been suffered in the Caucasus.

(Moscow also refers to the German, method of concentrating tanks in narrow sectors on the Nalchik front, supported by masses of aircraft. It adds that the Soviet Air Force has received reinforcements and that Russian pilots are not only challenging the Germans In the air, but are pounding enemy columns.

Fierce Attacks at Stalingrad The position at Stalingrad remains very tense. The Moscow correspondent of “The Times” states that although the city is in great danger and a crack in any sector would imperil the'whole position, the larger part of the city remains in Russian hands. . The correspondent adds that the German attacks on Stalingrad, which have increased since the beginning of the week, had swollen yesterday to a general offensive. The enemy strained every nerve to force a decision, but failed to gain ground. The whole enemy force of shock troops, riflemen, and tanks, surging across the manoeuvring ground between the two armies or thrusting along the street, was yesterday, as on previous days this week, hurled back decisively. , The fiercest attacks yesterday were directed against the factories and gaps. The battle was described as very bloody, and it raged for several hours. In another part of the city the Germans had launched an attack under the cover of smoke mines, but failed to make headway. . Front line dispatches to Moscow say the Germans at Stalingrad, In spite of the fiercest aerial protection and the use of smoke screens, did not gain a single success in the 24 hours up to Thursday morning, but were forced to abandon a number of strong points. The dispatches mention “growing Russian activity and manoeuvrability.” The Germans are maintaining their ineffective attacks on Stalingrad, and they are bringing up reinforcements for a renewed assault. Air attacks on the city have for the moment slackened off, but they are still continuous and large-scale. Every land attack launched by the Germans has been repulsed with heavy loss for no gain.

UNIFIED COMMAND IN PACIFIC

MR WALTER NASH’S APPEAL

(Hec. 1,13 a.m.) NEW YORK, Nov. 6. An appeal for a co-ordinated American Naval and Army Command in the south Pacific was made by the New Zealand Minister to Washington (Mr Walter Nash), in a broadcast address. “The Japanese are working under a single command, and therefore it is imperative that General Mac Arthur and Vice-Admiral Halsey should work in close co-operation,” he said. “Both should know everything the other has done, and is doing, and plans to do. Separate plans unknown to the other might jeopardise many thousands of lives.” Discussing the Solomons, Mr Nash said: “Even if it becomes necessary to abandon Guadalcanar we can still fight on. but it would extend the war and cost more lives.”

ELECTION IN UNITED STATES

(Rec. 10.30 p.m.) WASHINGTON. Noy. B. "Mr Roosevelt is in excellent spirits in spite of the Republican election successes,’’ said the Vice-President (Mr Henry A. Wallace), who explained that in times like the present a larger than usual proportion of voters are people who are well to do and hence more likely to be Republican. Mr Wallace suggested that millions of younger voters in the Army did not vote and Labour generally was too busy, in both cases depriving the Democrats of some of their strongest support. Mr Wallace strongly objected to any theory that the Republican triumphs in the Middle West represented a rebuke to the Administration.