CAUCASUS DRIVE

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 August 1942, Page 5

CAUCASUS DRIVE

GERMAN NEW THREAT

RUSSIANS WITHDRAWING

LONDON, August 12. The Germans are thrusting still deeper into the Caucasus,., with severe pressure on the oil-producing centres of the north-west. The Russians now say that enemy forces have reached Cherkesk, half-way between the Black Sea and the Caspian and about 70 miles south-east of Armavir I The latest Soviet communique mentions fierce fighting in the regions of Cherkesk, Maikop, and Krasnodar. German penetration to Cherkesk opens up a new and dangerous threat, says Mr. Paul Winterton, of the London “News Chronicle,” in a dispatch to the 8.8. C. Near Cherkersk a comparatively new military highway crosses the Caucasus mountains to the Black Sea port of Sukhum, 200 miles south of Novorossiisk. He adds that many Russian troops are being evacuated from the Black Sea coast in the Novorossiisk area. Along the Caucasus foothills the position is confusing. Dispatches from Moscow state that the German forces are apparently thrusting west, south, and east wherever the panzers find that they can get through. At the moment the drive from Krasnodar to the Black Sea in the Novorossiisk area seems to be making most progress. The Germans here are throwing in enormous reserves, attacking in spite of heavy losses. The Soviet communique states that Russian troops in the Krasnodar area took up new positions after an enemy break-through. There is no official Russian news of the advance towards Grosnyi, although it is thought that the Germans are trying to occupy the entire line across to the Caspian Sea. The Berlin radio claims that German advanced units have entered Georgievsk. The Stockholm correspondent of “The Times” says the spearhead of the German drive eastwards from Armavir is reported to have bypassed the MineralniyevodyGcorgievsK junction, and turned south-east into the Spa district, which is connected with the main RostovBaku railway by an electrified branch railway. „ X 1 ... The Russians admit a further withdrawal near Armavir on the CaspianBlack Sea railway, and there is evidence that the main strength of the 17th German Army has been brought up to about the line of this railway. There is, however, no confirmation of the German claims to have occupied completely the Maikop oilfields. Russian sources claim that German attacks in this area have been consistently repulsed. A German communique claims that Russians in the Maikop area have been thrown back in several sectors into the mountains. German units are operating towards the Black Sea ports and there is news of the activities of aircraft over three ports, including Novorossiisk and Anapa. The Germans claim to have sunk several transports carrying Russian troops. • Berlin radio claims that the Germans have occupied Kislovodsk, which is the farthest south point in the central Caucasus to which they have penetrated.

GERMANS CHECKED

RUGBY, August 12

German attacks in the Kletskaya and Kotelnikovo areas continue with unabated strength, but no further advance by the enemy in either of these important sectors is reported officially by the Soviet. However, “Red Star” says the Germans are throwing fresh troops into the struggle, and admits a Russian withdrawal at one place. In the northern Caucasus, the Russians are defending the line of the Kuban -River around Krasnodar, against superior enemy forces. A Moscow message also says that they are battering at a German wedge which they cut off at the base. The situation in the Maikop region is described as serious, as the Germans are using every effort to push on, probably with the intention of capturing Piatygorsk, 50 miles east ol Cherkesk. It is believed in London that the German progress southwards is slackening, as the Caucasus foothills are reached. Eastwards, where there is no such barrier, the Germans seem to Ise pushing on fast. It is not yet apparent whether the Soviet Command will be able, with the forces available, to make a stand covering the naval base of Novorossiisk and Port • Tuapse, the defence of which would extend their line by scores of miles. Further slight progress by the Russians south of Voronezh is announced.

RUSSIAN CLAIMS

(Rec. 9.35 a.m.) LONDON, Aug. 12. A Russian communique records no further withdrawals. The Red Army is holding fierce attacks at Kletskaya, north-east of Kotelnikovo, and is fighting defensively in the Caucasian sectors in face of great pressure. A Moscow messags says desperate air battles are raging over the Caucasian front. Junkers are rushing up troops and materials. The Russians are taking heavy toll of these transports, and are also plastering the Germans with fire bombs, which set the woods ablaze, trapping concentrations of men and material. One report says that the whole Kuban Valley is ablaze.

GERMANS CLAIM BIG CAPTURES

(Rec. 12.30 p.m.) LONDON, Aug. 12. A special German communique states: The encirclement battle west of Kalach has ended. We took prisoner 35,000, and inflicted very heavy casualties. We took prisoner 57,000 in the Don bend since July 23. The Don bend battles resulted in the annihilation of the bulk of the 62nd Russian Army and major parts of the Ist Russian Tank Army. One million and forty-four thousand Russians have been captured since the beginning of the Spring to the conclusion of the Don bend battle. We captured or destroyed 6271 tanks, 10,000 guns, shot down 5600 planes, and destroyed 432 on the ground. A High Command communique reports that the Germans are advancing further into the Caucasus. The Rumanians took the town of Slavianskaya, 60 miles from Novorossisk, inland from the Taman Peninsula. The communique claims that strong Russian attacks on the Voronezh, Rzhev Ilmen and Volkhov fronts were driven off. mere is no evidence to confirm the German Karach claims or to suggest that fierce fighting has ceased on the right bank of the Don bend. A Tass Agency front line despatch says that the Russians improved their positions in the Kletskaya area. The Tass Agency adds that violent fighting broke out in another sector south of Kletskaya, where the Russians threw back the Germans and captured an important height. A Stockholm message says that every seventh obituary notice 'in German newspapers, concerning deaths on the Russian front, now records a second death' in the family. German authorities are renewing efforts to restrain the insertion of obituaries, which are limited to 25 daily to each newspaper.

RUSSIANS MAKE A STAND (Recd. 2 p.m.) LONDON, Augustl2. All reports indicate that Timoshenko has succeeded in beating off the heaviest German thrusts against Stalingrad thus far,—from west and south-west—and there are signs that the German drive in the north Caucasus is definitely slowing down, although the situation here could scarcely be graver. The Germans m the north Caucasus are now approaching territory much more favourable to the defenders and the Seventh Army is paying even a higher price for the advances it is still undoubtedly making in most sectors. The German advance has not only slowed down, but at some points the Germans have been forced back slightly, and the Russians, at last, are possibly attempting to bring the general rapid retreat to an end. . There is no diminution in the intensity of the fighting in the KrasnodarMaikop regions, where the Russians are holding out desperately, under terrific German armoured onslaught. Unending battles here are costly to both sides, but German reinforcements are rolling • forward m such strength that it seems the Russians must again be compelled to fall back. Moscow reports that the Russians falling back along the Kuban Valley are destroying everything useful to the enemy, leaving every town and village in ruins. German claims regarding the outcome of the encirclement battle of Kalach are probably exaggerated but it is hardly to be doubted that they gained some success. This might increase the threat against Stalingiad, which the Russians are so stoutly containing, elsewhere. The Russians at Voronezh are steadily extending the large belt west of the Don river, and north and southwards. Increased German-Ru-manian resistance, supported by large tanks and reinforcements, has not prevented further Russian progress. The Russians forced three more Don river crossings south of Voronezh, and the enemy’s casualties must be having an appreciable effect on his strength. In the neighbouring sectors the Hungarians are reported to be losing particularly heavily.

THRUSTS TO STALINGRAD

LONDON, August 12

The two determined German thrusts towards Stalingrad are being held. The Russians stand firm in the north-west, at Kletskaya, where the Germans arc making a desperate attempt to smash their way to the Don. At Kotelnikov the southern arm of the German drive has apparently made little progress in the last few days, and the Russian resistance has increased. „ . .. There is no news from Russia o . the German forces which reached Kalach at the bend of the Don, and nothing to indicate that the Russians are not holding fast. The Moscow correspondent of tne “Daily Telegraph” reports that the Germans at some points in the Kotelnikov area forced their way into the Russian positions by sheer weight of metal, but the battle goes on without a decision. The Russians in some sectors at Kletskaya pressed back the Germans. The lighting on both sectors is the most bitter of the whole campaign. , „ x , _ j „ Mr Paul Winterton, of the London “News-Chronicle,” in a dispatch to the British Broadcasting Corporation, states that in the elbow of tne lower Don and north-east of Kotelnikov the greatest armed struggle of the war is developing. EnormoOs tank concentrations, motorised infantry, and large air forces are engaged on both sides, and in the terrific clashes the enemv has made little, if any, impression on the Russian defences. After three weeks of the most intensive fighting, he has not yet fought his way out of the elbow of the Don and over the river. Mr Winterton states that both sides are making almost superhuman elforts. He adds that the Germans consider that it is absolutely vital tor their purpose to get through to the Volga, and they will continue to, press on, regardless of losses. But he continues, if the Germans need Stalingrad desperately, the Russians need it even more desperately, and they intend to keep it if humanly possible.

SITUATION REVIEWED

LONDON, August 11

The military situation in the western Kuban sector is clearly irretrievable, the Russians fighting back mainly for time to demolish and evacuate. The Russians in the sector east or Armavir have slowed up the Germans, but huge columns of armoured forces are still advancing towards the Caspian along the Caucasus foothills. These facts are disheartening, but not disastrous, whereas if the Germans are not stopped before Stalingrad they could weaken the entire Russian resistance. The question arises whether the Germans will attempt to force tne Caucasus mountains to reach Baku, or will strike swiftly across the north Caucasus, where only foothills impede them. If they reached Makhatch Kala they would be able to establish flying fields and bomb shipping in the Caspian. The Germans may try to encircle Marshal Timoshenko’s forces by reaching Makhatch Kala and advancing 50 miles from the Don to the Volga.’ Other key points on the Russian front are Voronezh and Rzhev. It is felt that if Russian counteroffensives developed satisfactorily in these areas it would be valuable aid.

The inter-Aliied talks now proceeding in Moscow are regarded as of first importance. They will undoubtedly include discussions of what aid can be given to Russia by the Allies.

One result of the German successes in the Caucasus will be that the approaching Winter will now cut both ways, for the Soviet’s economic losses have been severe. Russia’s main supply problem is now’ fuel. She has lost more than half her coal production, with the result that European Russia faces a cold and coal-less Winter, for there is little hope of coal from the Urals and the Kurnetsk district being available.

GUERRILLAS & HUNGARIANS

RUGBY, August 12. Russian guerrillas are operating in territory occupied by Hungarians, according to news reaching London from Eastern Czechoslovakia. One unit captured supplies from a Hungarian mechanised column, and during July killed several hundred Hungarian soldiers, blew up an ammunition train, stopped food convoys, and distributed food to the starving population.

RUMANIAN DISSENSIONS

LONDON, August 11. A Zurich message says that 60 high ranking Rumanian officers are reported to have been arrested on tne Russian front and in Rumania, in connection with a secret organisation against General Antonescu. They have been, imprisoned in an old castle in Bucharest.

BRITISH OFFICER CAPTURED

LONDON, August 12.

The Official German News Agency says: “Colonel Riminton, of the British Army, has been captured by a Üboat with other survivors of a cargo steamer belonging to a British-Am-erican convoy. Colonel Riminton, a tank expert, was going to Russia to place his knowledge at the disposal of the Bolsheviks.”