CAUCASUS DRIVE

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24423, 5 November 1942, Page 4

CAUCASUS DRIVE

STRONG GERMAN MOVES CONTROL OF RAILWAYS (LOOKING AHEAD TO WINTER RUSSIANS HARD PRESSED By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Heed, h. 15 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. - Strong groups of German tanks in the Nalchik area gained some more ground by taking advantage of the Germans' air superiority, savs the Times' Moscow correspondent. The Germans are seeking a rapid decision in this small area of comparatively flat ground. The news front the central Caucasus is disturbing, but less alarming than the direct advance eastward. The correspondent points out that the Germans' chief preoccupation in the •Caucasus at present is to secure defendfible winter positions, also railway communications. Russian Withdrawal Nalchik is the terminus of a branch line and Alagir is the terminus of another from Dargkokh, 20 miles distant on the main southern loop of the transCaucasus line. Malkobek, which the Germans reached recently, is also the terminus of a 20-mile branch from Mozdok on the northern loop. Thus the Germans have captured the .whole north Caucasus railway system .west of Mozdok except a 15-mile branch

line from Beslan to Ordzhonikidze at ' the entrance to the Georgian military road to TiHis. A Soviet communique says: "Southeast of Nalchik our troops conducted heavy defence operations.against enemy attacking troops. In one sector on this front 100 German tanks carrying troops with automatic rifles, supported by 70 Gorman planes, attacked our positions. Our artillery disabled 14 tanks. ** ''Under pressure of enemy numerical superiority our troops, after stubborn fighting, withdrew to new positions. Westward, however, the situation is Letter." Critical Situations The Russians in the Tuapse area have further improved their positions, but German air ascendancy in the Caucasus region generally, of which the fall of Nalchik is another reminder, is -likely to cause further critical situations. Moscow radio reports particularly •fierce fighting continuing day and night ■in the Nalchik area. The Germans are mustering a large force of tanks and planes in an attempt to break through to the south-east regardless of cost. The Russians, in beating off enemy attacks yesterday, knocked out 20 .tanks. Router's Moscow correspondent says that Nalchik is aflame. It fell in the face of crushing superiority of men, tanks and planes which the Germans switched from the Mozdok front to overwhelm the small Russian force guarding the railway and the valley leading to Nalchik. The Germans are now pushing on south-east in an attempt to rejoin the south loop of the railway to Grozni and Makhachkala. German Objectives According to the British United Press correspondent at Moscow the Germans are seeking to break through to Ordzhonikidze and to the railway northvest of Ordzhonikidze and Grozni. The Germans have concentrated here two tank divisions and two Rumanian Alpine divisions and also other units. ..The strength of the German pressure south-east of Nalchik is believed i.'i London to reveal the enemy's immediate strategic objectives as control .of the northern section of the Georgian highway and the Ossetian highway, and the capture of towns along the northern fringe of the Caucasus 'range for the establishment of winter quarters. Attainment of the latter would also deny points of debouchment ".northward for Russians from the Caucasus Mountains, and would presumably compel withdrawal of their main forces to the southern foothills of the range. Heavy Enemy Losses Some idea of the severity of the fighting south-east of Nalchik can ho gained fioin a supplement to to-day's Russian communique, which reports repeated •German attacks toward Ordzhonikidze ".and the Georgian Road. After a third attack launched with fresh reserves the Germans succeeded in pushing the Russians back, hut at the cost of very heavy losses. The entire small Caucasian autonomous republic of Kabardino-Balkaria is the arena of the present violent battle around Nalchik. It was a prosperous agricultural area in low mountains covered with rich orchards and ■wheatfields, but the lied Army had time to evacuate or destroy practically everything. farther west, in the region of Tuapse, German pressure continues with the apparent aim of splitting the Russian forces and driving sufficiently far down the coast to wrest command of the fasten; waters of the Black Sea from the Russian Navy. Russians Regaining Ground The Russians, however, are fighting back strongly, and slowly regaining' ground. A Soviet communique says three ini'antr.N companies were annihilat' :l and prisoners taken in the Tuapse | Sector, i lie enemy were? pushed back. Referring to rue Tuapse area, the Mesr-nv radio reported the capture of another important height to the ■northeast. The Russians in this area are con/(mmug to mop up encircled German units, but the Germans arc rushing tip reinforcements. The German news agency says the Rns three times penetrated the Genuaii position- north of Tuapse, but wen thrown back after bitter hand-to-hand lighting. ' In the cement factories suburb of Novorossssl; the Russians are not only holding, hut are gaining ground. The Red Mar savs the Germans are not isters of tlio city, while the Soviet artillery lire has made the port unusable for them.