BIG TANK BATTLE

Grey River Argus, 15 December 1942, Page 5

BIG TANK BATTLE

WEST OF MOSCOW NEW RUSSIAN FORCES Attacking Enemy [Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] (Rec. 10.35) LONDON, Dec. 14.. *One of the greatest tank battles in the Russian war is now raging deep inside of a'German fortified zone between Sycnevka and the headwaters of the River Dneiper. The forces of General Zhukov are there battering at German forces with /.res h infantry and tank divisions. Hie battle is occurring in an area about 30 miles north of Viazma. General Von Kluge is hurrying German reinfnrppmpnts from Smolensk to project the northern flank of the Smo-icnsk-Vlazma highway, and railway. A German correspondent, reporting viazma says: “We are facing XrTd^carefLilly-planned offensive, here are ever ? bit as strong as those of last winter.

Deadlock Indicated

ON CENTRAL FRONT

LONDON, Dec. 13. On the central front so J" athin g e °n a deadlock appears to have been reached. Press that the Russians are still generally advancing but the brought German reinforcements brougnt through Smolensk is managing to impede, if not halt, Russian progress towards the important Viazma Sn ßusskins ra are * mainly engaged m fortifying positions recently occupied Many Y German counter-attacks are re commun iqrie stated:— Russians consolidated P° sl “^ ns it some sectors continued an offen sive* West of Rzhev Russians crossed a river and attacked a German forward position. After fierce figl ing they occupied the first finess of trenches, having destroyed 33 pill boxes and killed 800 Germans Soviet pilots shot down seven German a£ Moscow radio said that west of Rzhev Russians occupied four moie populated points. After a Prolonged battle near one village Russians routed a German motorised battalion in hand-to-hand fighting. In the Velikye Luki area Russians advanced seven miles and captured 13 popuclaim that there ts an enormous concentration of Russian troops, supplies and equipment in the Rzhev area. . ' A special Soviet communique stated: On the central front since November 25 at least 7500 of t enemy have been killed, and 2100 taken prisoner, and Russians captured 194 tanks, 550 guns, 1053 machineguns, 7000 rifles, 300,000 shells 726.000 rounds of ammunition and 921 loiries. They destroyed more than 200 aircraft, 416 tanks, 541 guns, more than 1000 mortars, 1230 machineguns and 850 lorries.

German Losses

QN SOUTHERN FRONT

VIOLENT COUNTER-ATTACKS

LONDON. Dec. 13 Operations in Russia have h e en more than usually difficult to during the last few days. There has been the greatest disparity between German and Russian Claims. 1 It appears that the Germans en- , circled in the south are making vio- , lent counter-attacks, but are being j gradually reduced by Russian forces. ; b The destruction of a further 60 j German transport aeroplanes over < the Stalingrad area was announced ' in a Soviet communique last mgnr.. . The total of these aircraft destroyed < in the last few days was nearly 200. It now appears that the Germans ( encircled in the Don pocket had ample supplies of food and munitions brought up during the summer. The question is whether the Germans can bring relief, before these are exhausted. _ , . The opinion in London is tnai the Germans are launching or _ aie about to launch a counter-attack from south-west of Stalingrad. It can be expected that the onslaught will be in great strength, as the Germans have the advantage of railways for Saturday’s Soviet stated: Russians dislodged the enemy from a number of fortified positions m the northern part of St.alingiad, wrecked seven dug-outs m the tactoiy area, and wiped out an q . company. North-west of stall .ngia Russians consolidated their Positions. One Soviet unit wiped out 30U Germans and captured eight guns, lo machine-guns. 11 mortars, tank guns and an ammunition dump. On another sector of the same front Germans counter-attacked and were repulsed, the Russians killing 200 of the enemy, and disabling three German tanks. South " I west c °„ n Hrnn ingrad an enemy cavalry squadron was annihilated. On another sector an enemv infantry battalion and 13 tanks attacked the Russian positions. The attack was repelled, 300 Germans being killed and three tanks Soviet forces continue offen-sive-lighting on the Stalingrad fr f oats in the same direction as before There were successful sorties oy Russian troops in the northern suburbs of Stalingrad. Artillery duels have been taking place m the Jac tory area. North-west of Stahngra Russians drove Germans out of lb more fortified positions. In anotner part o!f this sector 600 of the enemy were killed and nine tanks were destroyed. South-west of the cty a costly counter-attack left the Ger mans where they had s t a s te dThe Russians north-west of Stalingrad have captured a furthei strongly-fortified German line ana are steadily narrowing the already perilous enemy positions between the Don and the Volga. Rodimstev’s men inside Staling! ad City keep gnawing at th e enemy s strongholds. They captured 200 blockhouses last week and smashed io

pillboxes in rne past The latest Moscow special com munique brings the enemy killed ana disabled in Russia to over eight milA special Soviet a ? nol in Cenl nl 1 n stated that since November 19, when the Russian offensive began in tne Stalingrad area, 72,400 prisoners have been Sen, and 94,000 of the enemy have been killed. Four-fifths 0 - - nrisoners were Germans, the ies being Rumanians. Up to D . e £? m^. r 11 the Russians captured 105 aircraft, 1510 tanks. 2134 guns. 1714 mortars, 28 anti-aircraft installations 4175 machine-guns, 311 anti-tank rifles, 2000 automatic rifles. 4,196,000 rifles, 20,000,000 rounds of ammunition, 7306 lorries, and 1385 motorcycles. The Russians destroyed 632 aircraft, including 353 transport aeroplanes. 548 tanks, 924. guns, 1946 machine-guns/ and 1386 lorries. NORTHERN FRONT "LONDON,. Dec. 13. A Soviet communique stated: — “A Soviet partisan group operating

in the Leningrad district derailed five enemy railway trains and killed, 600 Germans from one of these tramsgerman claim SUCCESS NORTH OF MOSCOW LONDON, Dec. 13. The Germans claim that large but unspecified Russian forces have been surrounded in the Toropets area. The Russians have indicated nothing that would support this, and the claim itself is rather vague. Germans Stronger ON BOTH FRONTS. COUNTER-ATTACKS GROWING LONDON, Dec. 13. German opposition in Russia is increasing on all fronts, particularly south-west of Stlaingrad against the Russian drive towards Kotelmkoyo. The latest front line messages tonight say that battles raged all day on at least four separate sectors south-west of Stalingrad, -with the Germans frequently swinging the direction of their counter-attacks m attempts to find a weak spot. Tne enemy’s thrust so far have been baulked but after 24 hours’ struggle the savage battle has not slackened. Russian artillery is playing the main part in halting the Axis rushes. The fighting of the past two days has reached its greatest intensity south-west of Stalingrad, where the Germans, stabbing With attack after attack, are trying to puncture the southern of the two Russian tentacles encircling the 200,000 Axis , troops between the Don and the V °Colonel Vassiliev, Russian military commentator, said: “The Germans south-west of Stalingrad are coun-ter-attacking increasingly. The enemy has strengthened his defences considerably, digging in in some sectors with a large number of tanks. The situation is also similar nortnwest of the Stalingrad front and the central front| The Russians had to fight hard to check six German counter-attacks north-west of Stalingrad. The Germans are also counterattacking without a pa.use at the main points of the central front and where the Russians are advancing it is only by degrees. Zhukov has thrown in powerful forces for a new push southwards from Rzhev. Germans are repeatedly counter-attack-ing eastwards of Velikiye Luki. Reports from most sectors indicate that Russian progress is slowing up, although the Germans are not actually regaining ground.

The Caucasus

LONDON, Dec. 13. A Soviet communique stated:— “North-east of Tuapse engagements of local importance took place. A German attempt to drive a wedge into the Russian positions failed, lhe Russians are improving their position in the Caucasus. In the Mozdok area the Russians report capturing an unnamed place.