ormidable Defences

Timaru Herald, Volume CLII, Issue 22378, 16 September 1942, Page 5

ormidable Defences

Russians Expect Stalingrad To Hold Out ittle Reaches Unprecedented Pitch Of Fury By Telegraph-Press Association—Copyright ’eceived 11 p.m.) LONDON, September 15. ON-STOP ASSAULTS by the Germans against Stalingrad have been thrown back and the enemy s been able to advance only in one sector. Although there is no confirmation of the German lim that the outer edge of Stalingrad itself has been netrated, unofficial information from Moscow indicates at Stalingrad’s position has further deteriorated. There still no reason to believe that the city’s fall is minent. Indeed military quarters in Moscow remain nfident that Stalingrad will hold out. The latest German report of the Stalingrad fighting ites that the penetration has been from the south -ough the suburbs, where every house was fortified and ery foot contested. The main weight of the German essure has shifted for the moment from the west to e south-west. Marshal Timoshenko continues to exact iearful price for every yard of German progress. The Stockholm correspondent of “The Times” says it the Stalingrad battle has reached an unprecedented ch of intensity. Fifty-five major actions have been ight in three days, mostly on the south-western ctor. The German spokesman explained that, although e final stage had now been definitely initiated, ilingrad’s far flung lines of scattered houses stretch er 25 miles, therefore the storming of the town itself nnot be expected immediately. The correspondent lieves that the Russian reinforcements arriving across t Volga are parts of fresh armies which Marshal roshilov and Marshal Budenny were commissioned to ganise when they relinquished their front line mmands at the beginning of last winter.

Stockholm correspondent of the Telegraph” reports that Gerhock troops supported by Stukas oming vainly attempted to force sing' of the Volga southward of trad in boats driven by powerful rd motors. Concentrated Rusirtillery and machine-gun fire he eastern bank and from islands ed the assault which aimed at [ Stalingrad’s supply Jines. The ins hoped to use the islands as av houses. Instead, they found he undergrowth on the islands led dozens of steel casements >rts whose guns forced the boats re in disorder after at least half een sunk. Severe fighting from mingrad garrison and Sinyavino ready greatly slendered the neck cupied territory leading to lelburg, whose position has beprecarious. The Russians are ressing the enemy hard south>f Lake Ilmen and Rjev. comparative lull In the Western ms since the fall of Novorossisk ues. Both sides appear unable to the Russians. The Gerare encountering tough opposiouthward of the Terek river. ; constant fighting in the last 11 he Germans lost 5000 killed and 200 tanks. N.B.C. commentator in Moscow le war in some ways has proved ling in disguise. The evacuated tions of factories, scientific in>ns, theatres and museums have ted scores of. cities in Siberia Central Asia into important il centres and brought life to nds of acres of virgin soil. The development in Central Asia is iening of an irrigation channel lies long in Uzbekistan and stan Republics built by 50,000 ive fanners, increasing the arable >.v nearly 100,000 acres. Central chief pre-war contribution to Soviet’s national economy was . It is now doing a great deal ke up the production of grain igar beet lost in the Ukraine. battle for Stalingrad goes on iver-mounting fury. There are signs that the Germans are d about the appalling slaughter attle is costing, but there is no : of policy of hurling in more i of men and machines, information has reached London ning the message to the “New Times” that the Axis losses are

such that Hitler recalled von Bock for consultation and that Keitel has, at least temporarily, taken over command before Stalingrad. The whole German press, however, is emphasising the stubborn spirit of the defenders of Stalingrad, and the strength of the fortifications. This apparently is designed to prepare the Germans for the revelation of the extent of the slaughter. The latest Russian reports say that von Bock raised the stakes for Stalingrad by 2000 men and 124 tanks at . the week-end. The Axis has now lost 12,000 dead on this front in the last few days, making a total of more than 37,000 in the battle for Stalingrad. The Luftwaffe's losses in the last four weeks were over 1600 planes, mostly before Stalingrad. Russian killed and wounded were 4000. The Italians lost In prisoners 15,000 men when they recently attacked in the Kletskaya area. The heavy defeat of the Italians embarrassed the German High Command and eased the position for the Russians for the last nine days. Reports from Moscow of fighting in the Voronej area describe the Ger-man-Hungarian thrust as the most ambitious yet launched to regain the key position. Fighting began with an attempt by 100 tanks and a division of infantry to throw back the Russians from the west bank of the Don. All the attacks failed. Hungarians alone lost about 1000 men in fighting yesterday. A bitter day and night struggle is being waged in the Western Caucasus for the passes across the mountains to the Black Sea. Germans captured one pass, but the Russian automatic riflemen outflanked the enemy and stormed the pass from different directions and dislodged and hurled back the Germans. A German communique claims that assault troops in the fortified area of Stalingrad penetrated into the fortifications on the outer edge of the city and stormed commanding heights north-west of the central town area. The Berlin radio declared that German and Rumanian troops penetrated the outskirts of Stalingrad itself. The Vichy radio asserted that von Bock’s troops are approaching the centre of Stalingrad.