NOT A YARD GAINED

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 9 October 1942, Page 5

NOT A YARD GAINED

Fight for Stalingrad Factory Area ATTACK AFTER ATTACK LAUNCHED Londcn, Oct. 7. The battle for the factory area in north-western Stalingrad begun at dawn on Sunday is still raging and is now clearly the bloodiest clash of the whole of the Stalingrad conflict. Ihe Germans all last night launched attack after attack. Guns and tanks frequently fought duels at point-blank range. Groups fought hand-to-hand among the ruins in the murky light of flares, flame-throwers and gun flashes. The Germans failed to advance on the ragged front by a single yard. The battle continued without pause in daylight to-day. A stream of German reinforcements is still coming up in planes. The Red Air Force is dropping leaflets welcoming the newcomers to the “German graveyard.” Stalingrad’s commander. General Tohinstev, issued an order of the day telling the troops that the city must be held at all costs, adding: “I am confident that despite all the difficulties and all the trials we will smash the German hordes.” “Red Star” describing yesterday’s attacks in north-western Stalingrad declared: "Never have the Axis forces paid so dearly for small advances. They switched 1 000 planes to this sector and broke through in depth. A dangerous situation developed but the Russians brought up new reserves which went into the battle straight from the march. Their violent counter-attacks prevented the Germans consolidating and finally forced them to fall back to the former line.” The Russians retain the initiative north-west and south-west of Stalingrad but there is no diminution in the grim and bitter German defence on these sectors.

The Stefani News Agency (Rome) re veals that Russians in the relief driv< from the north threw a pontoon bridgt across the Don after which the Russians all night poured across the river The agency says Italian planes arc strafing the pontoon bridge. TIMOSHENKO’S AIM A German news agency in the firs direct reference to the Russian reliei offensives, states that Marshal Timoshenko aims to cut German communications with Stalingrad. The Germans are maintaining pressure in the Mosdok area, where the> have progressed about ten miles in the past 40 days. They are steadily building up forces in this area. A very determined effort to reach the Grozny oilfields and the Caspian Sea is expected. Heavy fighting again flared up in a wide area in the Voronej region, also at Sinyavino. BELEAGUERED LENINGRAD The Stockholm correspondent of "The Times” says beleaguered Leningrad is maintaining continual traffic across Lake Ladoga; also by air. principally at night time, when everything is used from obsolescent biplanes to armoured fighters. The Germans have met with little success in preventing traffic between Leningrad and Kronstadt, although shipping is confined to a narrow channel dredged across a shallow bay which is within range of the German guns. Whenever the moon is too bright or fogs and mists are absent, the Red Air Force blanket the channel and also German positions by dropping fog drums. The Russians are firmly holding their positions on the Stalingrad and Mosdok areas, according to to-night's Moscow communique. At Stalingrad the Germans are unsuccessfully attacking constantly with large concentrations of tanks and infantry. South-west of Novorossiisk an entire Rumanian division was thrown into battle. The Russian defenders inflicted heavy casualties on this division and captured much booty. Moscow radio reports that a sniper unit belonging to the Soviet Baltic Fleet has accounted for 2368 Germans, including 225 in the past three days. IN THE CAUCASES Fighting is flaring up on all sectors of the Caucasus front. The Germans j are intensifying their offensive to smash through the coastal hills to Tuapse and also the Mosdok-Terek areas, where they are attempting simultaneous thrusts eastwards towards Grozny and south-westward in support of the Black Sea coastal forces. The German High Command states that Germans south of Terek have taken the town of Malgobek. situated in an important oil district. Rome radio claims the Germans are rapidly developing their advance and preparing for overwhelming the Russian defences on the whole of ' this front. Reports to Moscow say that the Germans in the Mosdok area are bringing up fresh reserves and large numbers of planes. They are suffering heavily un-; der Russian artillery and surprise counter-attacks, but are stubbornly pressing on. German suggestions that the Russian Black Sea Fleet is incapacitated and is in refuge in Turkish ports, are categorically denied. The Istanbul correspondent of "The Times” says the Fleet is displaying the greatest offensive spirit, taking daily a heavier toll of Axis shipping. Its mastery of the Biack Sea is undisputed. The Russian Black Sea Fleet has joined in battles west of the Caucasus. Big war- ! ships are supporting Cossack cavalry! and gun-boats are assisting the Cos- J sacks by barring, river valleys. The j Germans are concentrating reserves from the Crimea in this region.—P.A. and 8.0. W.