COUNTER-BLOW FROM STALINGRAD

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 288, 3 September 1942, Page 5

COUNTER-BLOW FROM STALINGRAD

Mutual Supreme Effort

(By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Received September 2, 8.40 p.m.) LONDON, September 1. Z The battle for Stalingrad has been renewed on a scale exceeding even last week’s tremendous collision before the city. German sources state that both sides are making a supreme effort. History has not recorded such tremendous troop concentrations in a comparable area. > The Germans have brought up heavy tank reinforcements, including some which have been diverted from the Caucasus, and tv it i them Field-Marshal von Bock has fashioned a great fist which is seeking to deepen the dent in the Russian positions south of the city, lhe .Germans have made some progress.

A Russian riposte, has been a sally across the Don in the Kletskaya area, north-west of the city. After some days’ bombardment of Italian positions by artillery and., planes, the Russians swarmed across the river during the night and cut up two Italian divisions. The Germans- are rushing up Hungarian, Rumanian, and Italian reinforcements to Kletskaya, The Russian drive in thia area is aimed at cutting off the German route across the Don to Kachellnsk, on the Stalingrad-Moscow railway. TbeMoscow correspondent of “The Times" says that fierce Russian bayonet charges threw the Italians from the high bank of the Don .for a considerable distance. The Germans are' clearly in considerable difficulties northwestwest of Kletskaya and are in danger of losing the main; part of their forces which struck across the Don if the Russians maintain.'their pressure. They have now almost, closed round the Germans. ' Both sides are swinging tanks freely, across the open country in this area, where the Germans have yielded some positions and have' not advanced anywhere for several days. Von Bock-is constantly attempting to provide'the endangered force with,' supplies by transport plane and parachute and also by convoys running the. gauntlet of the narrow corridor. , . . .p - The Moscow representative or tne “Daily Express” says the German; corndor is being maintained, by strong patrols of light tanks, lorried infantry and motorcvclists under an umbrella of Messerschmitts. One great convoy attempted to make a dash through during the night, but it was trapped iu a hail of fire and was unable to advance or fall back ana only a few lorries have recrossed tne Don. The corridor . is now a smoking mass of wrecked vehicles. “Keystone" Claimed. The German news agency says that Kalach, 45 miles due west of Stalingrad, has been captured after a battle lasting several days, and that it was-a keystone of the Stalingrad fortifications. Tonight’s Soviet communique states: “On September 1 Soviet troops waged fierce battles north-west and south-west of Stalingrad. In the other sectors of the front there were no important changes.” A supplement adds that in the region of Kletskaya, inside the bend of the Don, several German and Italian attacks were repelled. ; According to Moscow radio, the Russians are delivering heavy counter-blows south of Krasnodar and have dispersed and wiped out five infantry battalions and recaptured several commanding heights. The battle continues in the Prokhladnaya vicinity. The Germans unsuccessfully again attempted to cross the Terek River in the Mosdok area. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent earlier said that the Red Army had started a counter-offensive in the Prokhladnaya region with the object of restoring the Russian positions. Tlie Russians had broken into Prokhladnaya itself and were steadily routjug the enemy from every house. The Black Sea Fleet,- without suffering loss, raided by night a port in which the

Germans had accumulated a small fleet, apparently intended for use in a landing in the northern Caucasus. Planes dropped flares, after which the Russian warships launched a bombardment and sank a. number of vessels and destroyed a big oil dump. . ‘ , Nazi Landings Smashed.

A Russian flotilla is engaging enemy ships which are appearing in increasing numbers in the Sea of Azov. Fighting is still raging for tlie eastern shores, with Russian warships helping to land forces. “Pravda” states that the Russian troops have made a dozen counter-attacks. The Black Sea Fleet is still a fighting force, and is valiantly aiding the Red Army in the Caucasus. It has carried out raid after raid on ports held by the enemy. The fleet's guns are smashing up German landing parties who are attempting to cut in' behind the Russian forces barring the way to Tuapse and Novorossisk. The Moscow correspondent of the “Daily Express” says the Russians now hold almost half of Rzhev, and have talien several more villages. 'Their progress is slow and paimul.

Heavy local fighting Js reported in the Lake Ilmen and .Leningrad areas. 4 A German communique states. -A further advance has been made toward Stalingrad. Germans and Rumanians couth of the Lower Kuban River overcame stubborn resistance and broke through along the eastern coast or the Black Sea. The Rumanians took the town and. harbour of Anapa.; ■

DANGERS GROWN LONDON, September 2. The Russian position south-west of Stalingrad has sharply increased ' in gravity, says the report from Moscow, while tho position in tho north-west has also become more serious.