HEAVY NAZI BOMBING

Southland Times, Issue 24894, 6 November 1942, Page 5

HEAVY NAZI BOMBING

FIGHTING SOUTH OF NALCHIK (Rec. 7 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 4. The Luftwaffe in the Caucasus is heavily bombing roads in the Russians’ rear, hoping to delay the reinforcements which Reuters Moscow correspondent states are being rushed up from the southern Caucasus. A mobile battle is continuing in the Alagir region, south-east of Nalchik, with the Russians still on the defensive. Reports from Berlin claim advances, but are making more frequent mention of the Red Army’s increasing resistance, also the more difficult terrain.

The battles in the mountain valleys and on the edges of the plains are long and hard-fought, says the Moscow correspondent of The Times. The Russians at one point held out for 11 hours against heavier German forces.

Moscow radio reported the failure of repeated German attempts southeast of Nalchik to break through eastward, but the Moscow view is that the general position in the central Caucasus is very serious. Successes for- the Russians in the Western Caucasus are continuing.

Reports from the front line at Stalingrad state that the Germans, despite immense sacrifices, have failed to gain a single yard of ground in a new assault on Stalingrad. Their objective was to recapture buildings in the factory area seized by the Russians, but they have failed completely. RUSSIANS ON OFFENSIVE In the Tuapse sector of the Caucasus the Russians have moved to the offensive along the whole front and, according to the latest reports, they are exerting relentless pressure on the Germans. In one place a German garrison of 2000 men is tightly encircled. Reuters’ Moscow correspondent reports that a Russian rifle division, after a daring night landing on the west bank of the Volga to the north of Stalingrad, made a surprise attack on the German flank. The Germans were forced to divert considerable forces and the landing relieved the situation in the factory area, where very tense fighting is raging. Strong forces of planes on both sides are also in action over Stalingrad and German bombers are again making more than 1000 flights a day and are dropping hundreds of tons of bombs on the city area, over which fierce air fights are occurring.

The Russian air forces are concentrating against the German troop concentrations and communications and the Luftwaffe against Russian aerodromes in the hope of grounding the Red Air Force.