RUSSIAN DEFENCE

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 August 1942, Page 5

RUSSIAN DEFENCE

IMPROVEMENT REPORTED

GERMAN GAINS IN CAUCASUS LONDON, August 14.

The general situation on the Russian fronts remains unchanged, with the Germans apparently making no progress towards Stalingrad, but gaining some ground in the Caucasus. Moscow newspapers generally present a rather brighter picture of the situation, although they still emphasise the need for a supreme effort. On the Stalingrad front the Germans were pushed back after making slight progress on both the Kletskaya (north-west) and Kotelnikov (south-east) sectors. A bitter engagement has been renewed on the Kotelnikov sector. The Germans have been bringing in considerable reserves, and Rumanian troops have been taking a prominent part in the attacks. In the Caucasus the German effort is being made in .two directions, one towards the Black Sea port of Novorossiisk from the Krasnodar area, and the other south-east along the mountains towards Groznyi, with a side thrust beginning near Cherkesk, on to the Sukhum military highway across the Caucasus. On both sectors of the Caucasus front the Russians are putting up fairly strong resistance. The Russian resistance is more effective in the west. The Germans managed to cross a strategic river in the Krasnodar area, but all the troops that managed to get across were wiped out. Further east the German advance along the railway to the Caspian continues. Fierce fighting is reported in a region 60 miles east of Cherkesk. South-west of Stalingrad in the Kotelnikov area the Germans are meeting such a heavy curtain of lire from Soviet artillery that they have given up massed tank attacks and are using infantry. The Stockholm correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” .says: “Two facts emerge from the confused north Caucasian position—Marshal von Bock has begun his assault on the Caucasus and the Russians are slowly but surely being driven back to the mountains. We shall now see whether the Russians have the strength to turn at bay and beat their tormentors, or whether the suggestion is true that Marshal Timoshenko, faced with a choice of two evils, has concentrated everything to save Stalingrad and has left the Caucasus and the holding of the oilfields to a handful of Russian divisions, backed by British forces from Iran. The Russian Black Sea fleet has arrived at Batum, which will be its base for further operations.”

ENEMY ADVANCE SLOWED

RUGBY, August 14. The German advance eastward across the North Caucasus region towards the Caspian continues more slowly. Mineralnyevody, where fighting is now reported by the Soviet, is close to Pyatigorsh, which the Germans claimed to have reached some time ago. Further north on the wide Kalmuck steppe, the Germans now claim to have reached Elista 160 miles west of the Volga delta and half way between Stalingrad and Georgievsk in the North Caucasus. Further west, the Russians report they are still stubbornly defending the Kuban River line at Krasnodar where, however, they retreated at one place, -and in the foothills about Maikop. No further advance up the railway to Kukhum from Cherkessk is reported.

VORONEZH AND RZHEV

LONDON, August 14

The news- from Voronezh continues to be satisfactory with the Russians steadily pressing back the enemy south of the town, where a German unit is threatened with encirclement. The Russians, using flame throwers and tommy-guns, drove the Germans and Hungarians from one locality, street by street. They ruthlessly exterminated nests of resistance established in houses. The Moscow correspondent oi “1 Times” says: “An important Russian offensive, probably with limited objectives. appears to be developing satisfactorily in the Voronezh area. Three Hungarian brigades have been severely mauled. If their advance can be maintained the Russians will enter country only recently conquered by the Germans and not yet fully organised for defence.” The Russians still give less information than the Germans concerning operations in Rzhev, says the Stockholm correspondent oi “The Times.” The Russians have gamed appreciable success in the Lake Ilmen region since July. The Germans in the middle of July consistently reported the battle as being the zone south-east of Lake Ilmen, but at tne end of August altered the description to south of the lake. The Germans are at present reporting hard fighting south-west of Lake Ilmen. On other parts of the vast front there are signs of increased Russian activity. The Russians on the Leningrad front recaptured a strongly fortified railway and road junction after the German positions had been softened by heavy shells from Kronstadt’s long-range batteries.

INVITATION TO TURKS

LONDON, August 13

A message from Istanbul says that a proclamation addressed by the Berlin radio to the Turks living in the Azerbaijan district (south of the Caucasus) inviting them to desert Russia and join the German ranks has caused indignation in the Turkish intellectual sphere.

A message from Berlin states that a group of Turkish journalists who have been touring Germany have arrived on the Russian front. They were tendered a banquet by General von KJpnnstein.

CONVOY ATTACKED

RUGBY, August 14

A convoy from Russia which has arrived safely at a British port, had to fight off a “wolf pack” formation of German submarines, which dogged the merchant ships for days. The first attack was in daylight and was beaten off. Submarines attacked the next day from close range, and the convoy replied with depth charges, which drove the submarines off. Two days later, they were attacked again but the convoy came through.