RUSSIAN FRONTS

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 November 1942, Page 5

RUSSIAN FRONTS

GERMAN ATTACKS HELD

LONDON, November 17

The Russians are still consolidating their positions in the Stalingrad area and in the Caucasus. At Stalingrad enemy attacks have again been on a small scale, but they have been costly to the Germans, who have gained no ground. On the southern sector of the Stalingrad front Russian infantry and artillery activity lias been’increasing. In the Western Caucasus Soviet tanks have driven a wedge into enemy positions. Active fighting is still going on. Near the Black Sea port of Tuapse an enemy attack on a height has been repelled. * The Germans are making no headway at either end of the Caucasus and north-east of Tuapse, they have actually been at a standstill for more Ilian two weeks. It is believed that they will try to establish their Winter "line there. South-east of Nalchik,. German panzers have been battering at the Soviet defences. The Germans have used as many as 30 tanks at a time as a spearhead for the infantry, but without success. The Russians have not yielded any ground.

RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE

(Rec. 11.20 a.m.) LONDON, Noy. In " The Russians are expected to launch a big Winter offensive soon, say Moscow reports. In what sector the attack will’begin is a secret, but in the past week powerful Russian forces are reported to have . been massing at a point between Stalingrad and Rzhev. Meanwhile, fighting along the whole Russian front is confined to small scale actions. According to latest dispatches, the Stalingrad defenders have improved their positions. The Russians in the Central Caucasus continue steady progress in reclaiming territory in (he area south-east of Nalchik. They also still hold the initiative northwest of Tuapse. A lull prevails on all the other fronts. Commenting on the reported impending Russian offensive. Morley Richards, “Daily Express” military correspondent’ says: Hitler is liable to find himself with air inferiority in the sector where Stalin strikes. Hitler’s difficulty is that he is losingaircraft faster than he can replace them.

The “Yorkshire Post” military writer says that the great German trek to the Caucasus has been halted. A significant pointer, is that Turkey has stopped the transfer of troops' to her Caucasus front. Turkey had been sending troops there since the Germans began approaching the Caucasian-Turkish frontier.