GREAT BATTLE FOR FACTORY AREA

Timaru Herald, Volume CLII, Issue 22398, 9 October 1942, Page 5

GREAT BATTLE FOR FACTORY AREA

Germans Fail to Make Impression Fighting Reaches Peak of Violence (Received 10.30 p.m.) LONDON, October 7. THE BATTLE for the factory area in North-western Stalingrad, which began at dawn on Sunday, is still raging and is now clearly the bloodiest clash of the whole Stalingrad conflict. The 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, flamethrowers and gun flashes. The Germans failed to advance on a 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 Todinstsev, issued an Order of the Day telling the troops that the city must be held at all costs. He added: “I am confident that in spite of all difficulties and all trials we will smash the German hordes.” The “Red Star,” describing yesterday’s attacks in North-western Stalingrad, declared that never have the Axis forces paid so dearly for small advances. They . switched 1000 planes to this sector and broke through in depth. A dangerous situation developed, but the Russians brought up new reserves which went into battle straight from the march. Their violent counter-attacks prevented the Germans front consolidating and finally forced them to fall back to their former line. The Russians retain the initiative north-west and south-west of Stalingrad, but there is no diminution of the grim and bitter German defence of these sectors.

The Stefanl Agency reveals that the Russians in the relief drive from the north threw a pontoon bridge across the Don, after whirls the Russians all night poured across the river. The agency says that Italian planes are sttaflng pontoon bridges. The German news agency, ip the first direct reference to the Russian relief offensives, states that Marshal Timoshenko alins to cut the German communications with Stallngrhd. The Germans are maintaining their pressure on the Mosdok area, where they have advanced about 10 miles in the last 40 days. They are steadily building up forces in this area and a very determined effort to reach the Grozny oilfields and the Caspian Sea is expected. Heavy fighting has again flared up over a wide area of the Voronej region, also at Slnyavlno. The Stockholm correspondent of “The Times" says that 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 this traffic between Leningrad and Kronstadt, although shipping is confided 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, also the German positions, by dropping fog drums. Fighting is flaring up on all sectors of the Caucasus front. The Germans are intensifying their offensive to smash through the Coastal hills to Tuapse. They are also active in the Mosdok and Terek areas, where they are attempting simultaheods thrusts eastwards towards Grozni and southwestward in support of the Black Sea coastal forces.

The German High Command states that the Germans south of Terek have taken the town of Malgobek, situated in an important oil district. The Rome radio claims that the Germans are rapidly developing an advance preparing to overwhelm the Russian defences on the whole of this front.

Reports to Moscow say that the Germans in the Mosdok area are bringing up fresh forces and large numbers of planes. They are suffering heavily under Russian artillery and surprise cdunter-attacks, but are stubbornly pressing on.

The German suggestions that the Russian Black Sea fleet is Incapacitated and In refuge In Turkish ports are categorically 'denied. The Istanbul correspondent of “The Times" says that the fleet is displaying the greatest offensive spirit, taking a dally heavier toll of Axis shipping. Its mastery of the Black Sea Is undisputed. The Russian Black Sea fleet has joined in battles In the West Caucasus, big warships supporting Cossack Cavalry and gunboats assisting the Cossacks Who ate barfing the river valleys. The Germans are concentrating reserves from the Crimea in this region.

The Russians are firmly holding their positions in the Stalingrad and Moscow 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 Novorosslsk an entire Rumanian division was thrown Into the battle, but the Russian defenders inflicted heavy casualties on this division and captured much booty.

Moscow radio reports that a sniper unit belonging tt) the Soviet' Baltic Fleet accounted for 2388 Germatlß, including 225 in the last three days. The importance of the new pilose In the fighting in the Caucasus is stressed in to-day's messages from Russia. The enemy is massing heavy forces in the area of Mosdok and is launching one attack after another in an attempt to make .a break-through to the Grozni oilfields.

The Germans are trying to drive to Groznl on both branches of the railway. They have made slight progress, but are meeting with a stiff Russian resistance, which has prevented any important break-through being made,, The Soviet troops are still holding their positions at Stalingrad after the closing of the gap in the factory settlement in the north-west suburbs. Paul Winterton, “News Chronicle" correspondent, 4n a cablegram to the 8.8. C., said that the Russians coun-ter-attacked and threw the enemy right back to his starting point. The Germans regrouped and launched six more attacks in quick succession. These, too, were beaten back.

Outside the city, to the north-west, the Russians are still attacking. The Red Army has taken another populated place and cllt off a large forte of Rumanians,