ENEMY FOILED

Grey River Argus, 8 October 1942, Page 5

ENEMY FOILED

IN STALINGRAD WINTER TO THE RESCUE Russians Stay Put [Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] LONDON, October 6. A great German assault against the workers’ settlement in northwestern Stalingrad has now raged more than 60 hours, but so far has failed to gain ground. - A Soviet communique stated: higniing in Stalingrad continues as bitter as ever. River transport serving tne city brings up reinforcements and supplies day and night, while a steady stream of gifts to the defenders comes from 1 , all over the Soviet Union. The Germans are striving to extend their gains in the northern .part of the city by a push towards the centre of the city and the dock area, but have made little headway in face of stubborn Russian resistance. The Russian relief forces north-west, and south-west of Stalingrad have made more progress in spite of German counter-thrusts. Moscow “Izvestia” says that no such battle has been seen on the Stalingrad front for a long time. Waves of German 'planes bombed the Russian positions, and thousands of shells were pumped into the city, but the defenders rose from the ruins, and overwhelmed wave after wave of German infantry. The fight continued! throughout the night under flares. The battle was unabated on October 5, during the night of which the Russians struck savage counter-blows-The battle continued this morning with the same violence. Moscow “Pravda’s” correspondent at Stalingrad declared: “The strength of our resistance plus the Germans’ bloody losses, is creating conditions for another major defeat of Hitler’s armies.” “The Times’s” Stockholm correspondent says that the present’ crescendo of the German onslaught is apparently the first direct result of Hitler’s emphatic promise x last week that Stalingrad would be captured. The intervening .days were used to gather energies for the supreme effort. The Germans opened a very heavy artillery barrage early on October 4, after which the concentration of 30.00.0 men with a spearhead of ten tanks, was set in movement. <

The Vichy radio declared that the Russians launched a new offensive south of Stalingrad, and that the Russians in Stalingrad received still more reinforcements.

Reports from all sources concentrate on the sea-sawing Stalingrad front. HEAVIEST ENEMY ATTACKS. . HELD IN STALINGRAD. (Rec. 10.40.) LONDON. October 6. The “Daily Telegraph’s” Moscow correspondent says: German prisoners confirm that Hitler, in a message to the troops, told them to 1 storm the centre of Stalingrad if they did not wish to spend the Winter on the frozen steppe. The Germans have never attacked so desperately and so incessantly. or in such force as they did on Monday, and never have they failed so completely. The Russians did not lose a single position in twenty-four hours of incessant fighting.” The correspondent .also says: “The’ Russians are gaining; time of inestimable value for Stalingrad, for Moscow, for Baku, for Russia, and for a general victory. Thev are keeping up one of the world’s most decisive iTgittles until help shall come.” Winter Prospects FOR STALINGRAD LIKELY TO HOLD OUT (Rec. 10.40) LONDON? Oct. 6. An opinion is hardening that Stalingrad will hold out until the winter, when the freezing of the River Volga may open a new phase. Freezing.of the river, would facilitate Russian military traffic across the Volga. On the other hand, it might also enable the Germans to develop an encircling movement around the city. TURKISH VIEW GERMANS MAY LOSE 1942 DECISION (Rec. 10.40) LONDON, Oct. 6. Turkish military circles are of opinion that if resistance in Stalingrad is prolonged. Germany will have lest the decisive battle of 1942, which will, possibly, be equivalent to losing the entire war. GERMAN TROOPS SEEK RESPITE (Rec. 10.40) LONDON, Oct. 6. The Russian Tass News Agency says that Russians at Stalingrad captured a secret report by the chief surgeon of the Fifteenth German Division, calling attention to a sharp increase of self-inflicted wounds among German troops. The Relief Push CAUTIOUS PROGRESS. LONDON, October 6. Marshal Timoshenko’s relief drives from the north-west and south-west meanwhile, are making progress cautiously, in face of fierce German coun-ter-attacks. Germans are parachuting many snipers on the open steepe, in an attempt to hold up the drive from the north-west, but the Russians, pressing forward, occupied a hill from which the German artillery was operating. / A RUSSIAN ADVANCE! (Rec. 10.40) LONDON, Oct. 6. Moscow reports that Russian forces advanced a mile and a half on the Voronej front and captured a number of fortified centres. West Caucasus [Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] LONDON, October 6. The Germans are using paratroops on a considerable scale in the Caucasus, dropping them at widely separated points, but the Russians held all attacks. The Luftwaffe, considerably reinforced, south-east; of Novorossisk, are heavily bombing the Russian positions. i i i German forces were pressed back below Novorossisk by Russian count-er-attacks. The Berlin radio stated that Marshal Budenny is commanding the Russians in the Western Caucasus. The Moscow radio states that the Germans are bringing troops from the Crimea by barges to the Novoross-,

isk area, but the Russians are attacking these from the air. The Black Sea air arm is also attacking barges and pontoons in enemy harbours. East Caucasus [Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] I LONDON, October 6 ' Russians in the Mosdok area drove the Germans back from the outskirts i of a village and killed 100 and destroyed seven tanks, In the Mosdok area, fighting is m a narrow valley, where the Germans, by superior weight,- .) succeeded in penetrating the outskirts of on? locality, but wepe compelled to- retreat. WIDER GERMAN ATTACKS, (Rec. 10.40.) LONDON. Q.ctobei' 6. Heavy German attacks, with fresh troops, have been developed at three points .along a wider front on the Terek River, in the East Caucasus. Thus far the- attacks have not progressed. NORTHERN FRONTS. [Aust. .& N.Z. Cable Assn.] LONDON, October 6. The German News Agency reports a four-dav battle, south of Lake Ladoga, and claims that, the Germans, annihilated seven Russian divisions. The Germans also claim to- have advanced south-east of Rzhev, where they caused heavy casualties to the Russians. A Russian success Is reported from the Voronej area, where the Red Army broke into a large, settlement from three sides, and killed 1800 of the enemv in street fighting, and ara still advancing. The Russians cleared German blockhouses and increased the depth of the wedge driven into the German defences.