FEROCIOUS ASSAULT

Evening Star, Issue 24296, 10 September 1942, Page 5

FEROCIOUS ASSAULT

Attack On Stalingrad Enemy Effort To Crush Defences (British Official Wireless.) Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright (Received noon.) RUGBY, September 9. ; The latest Moscow communique says the Germans appear to be making a total effort to break through the western defences of Stalingrad, and are using great masses of tanks and infantry, these being rushed forward regardless of the cost of lives. The Russians have withdrawn from two populated places in the area. The Germans have lost some of their armour in the minefields laid by the Russians. The country to the west of Stalingrad is dead flat, without ravines or ridges, and with only an occasional hillock. Bitter fighting is taking place in the area near Novorostick. In spite of very heavy losses the Germans _ are continuing their attack north-west of the town, hut in a number of counter-attacks the Russians have succeeded in holding the enemy. The reports from Berlin and Moscow illustrate the rapidity with which the complex picture changes. The Berlin radio, broadcasting a High Command statement, claimed a break-through on five miles of the front where the Axis advance is continuing. Within an hour the Moscow correspondent of ‘ The Times ' reported that the Russians had the situatioh under control, all enemy attempts during the past 24 hours having failed. This thrust from the north-west followed the failure of a direct frontal attack from the west, which in turn followed a vain attempt to drive a spear into Stalingrad’s tough hide from the south-west and the northwest. . The correspondent of the 8.8.0. suggests that the forcing of the enemy to attack from this new direction is in one sense an encouraging sign, and he emphasises the Geimans have failed to achieve any advance m the Don elbow, where fighting has almost died down. South-west of the city Til attempts bv the enemy to push forward are firmly held Under a ceaseless rain of bombs, the Russians have not yielded an inch of ground.