RELENTLESS POSITIONAL WARFARE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 6 October 1942, Page 2

RELENTLESS POSITIONAL WARFARE

Little Change at Stalingrad RUSSIAN ADVANCE IN RJEV AREA (Rec. 1.35 p.m.) London, Oct. 5. No significant changes have occurred on the Stalingrad front in the past 24 hours. Slight Russian gains in the relief drive from the north-west, also in the drive south-west of the city offset even the slighter German gains in the industrial area just inside the city s north-western edge. The north-west and south-west relief drives already have exercised an important effect by broadening the front, thus forcing a dispersal of the titanic German effort. Neither relief drive is likely to make spectacular progress. Fighting everywhere has settled down into relentless positional warfare where neither side is able to gain ground except at heavy cost. Vichy radio quoting Berlin said the German advance was slowed up because the German High Command wishes to avoid “useless losses.”

It is interesting to recall the broad aims publicised by the Russians and Germans a year ago. The Germans then claimed that they aimed at the speedy annihilation of the Russian armies by a super blitzkrieg, while the Russians grimly announced they proposed to bleed the Germans to death. Events in the past two months suggest that Moscow rather than Berlin is able to claim! ‘‘operations are proceeding according to plan.” German reinforcements recently thrown against Stalingrad are known to include two infantry and one tank divisions, making the total assaulting the city 35 divisions. The Russians are meeting the Luftwaffe offensive against Stalingrad. In the past three days they destroyed 92 German planes, including 44 shot down by anti-aircraft fire. The Russians advanced seven miles in the Rjev area and captured an important height after a daylong battle in which they routed picked German troops under General von Hoffman. The Russians captured a large amount of booty. AXIS GENERALS KILLED The German High Command announced that General Baron Erlencamp, commanding the Panzer Corps, also the Hungarian, General Nagy, commanding the Hungarian Division, were killed together in the Don front fighting on Saturday. The Soviet morning report says the Germans, at heavy cost, have pushed forward slightly in workers’ settlement in Stalingrad. Elsewhere the Russians have repulsed ettacks. —P.A. and 8.0. W.

“EIGHTY CRITICAL DAYS” ENDED

MINISTER’S WORDS RECALLED London, Oct. 4. The 80 most critical days forecast by the Minister of Production. Mr Lyttelton. last July, are up to-morrow. The “Sunday Chronicle” comments: “Indeed, these days have been momentous. The last part of them has been marked by the heroic, and it may be. the decisive stand of Stalingrad. “Elsewhere on the far-flung front of the world war we have seen the first momentum of the United Nations to take the initiative.