BATTLE FOR TUAPSE

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 28, 28 October 1942, Page 5

BATTLE FOR TUAPSE

Approach By Germans (Received October 27, 9.10 p.m.) LONDON, October 26. The Red Army continues to control the south bank of the Terek River, in the east Caucasus, from which it dominates most places along the north bank, though the German High Command tonight claimed that the Germans have crossed the Baksar River, to the west of the Terek. Skirmishes are going on in parts of the Caucasus at a height of 12,000 feet at -the edge of glaciers. The Russians do not under-estimate the German alpine troops, and they realize that vigilance will be necessary in the Caucasus throughout the winter. The Soviet High Command tonight refers for the first time to heavy fighting "north-east of Tuapse,” the Black Sea port. It adds that in that area “a Soviet unit wiped out a company of enemy infantry. German prisoners in this sector report that a shock battalion of an alpine division, consisting of 2000 officers and men, was lost in a few days, with about 1000 killed and wounded. “In the Voronezh area our men penetrated an enemy position, and all enemy counter-attacks were repelled,” the communique says. “On the Leningrad front, iu the course of two days, 400 Axis troops were killed. In the Gulf of Finland Soviet air forces sank two enemy transports totalling 12,000 tons.” Lake Ladoga, over which Leningrad watt supplied last winter, is already’ icing. Decisive battles are expected to be fought out in the fields and woods round Leningrad as soon as the ground freezes.

LUFTWAFFE TIED UP IN RUSSIA Unable To Defend Reich (British Otlieial Wireless.) RUGBY, October 2(5. Discussing the Allied air superiority, the “Daily Telegraph” says: "By the confession of the Nazi leaders, the Luftwaffe cannot yet be moved from the Russian front even to defend the Reich. The Allied offensive, which has pounded the Nazi war machine, is delivering dally and nightly sittacks on the arsenals of Genoa, Milan and Turin and the oil depots and harbours from which the Axis army in Libya draws its sustenance. “Fascism, with its industries battered and its labour power wasted on desert campaigns, must call on Nazism for help, only to find Nazism hi such a plight that it has nothing to spare for its satellites. “The Duce keeps this week the anniversary’ of the ‘March on Rome’ *■(> years ago. Turin, Milan and Genoa celebrate the hungry feast in dust and ashes and the rest of Italy in dread. ’ The R.A.F. bombers, in four successive raids on Italian towns, flew nearly 1,000,000 miles for the loss of only 11 planes, says the aviation correspondent of the “Daily Mail.” Havoc In Genoa.

According to the Vichy news agency 350 persons were killed when an airraid shelter collapsed during the last R.A.F. raid on Genoa. Moscow radio said the Italian King and Queen visited Genoa at the insistence of Signor Mussolini, but that they were unable to visit the stricken parts of the port because of the enormous fires which were still raging. The mayor of New York, Mr. La Guardia, appealed to the Italian people in his regular Sunday broadcast to Italy, to start a passive revolt against their German masters, according to the Berne correspondent of ‘the “New York Times.” Mr. La Guardia asserted that the Germans were stealing the Italians’ food and subjecting them to hunger, cold and other sacrifices. “The Italians must put an end to the traitorous Fascist Government,” he said. “It is time for a revolution or passive resistance.” National Broadcasting Corporation officials in New York declared that Mr. La Guardia began regular propaganda broadcasts to Italy two months ago, requesting absolute secrecy about them. Mr. La Guardia makes a record in Italian which is broadcast by two shortwave stations to Italy.

NEW ZEALANDERS IN RAID ON MILAN 4000 Lb. Bomb Dropped (Bv Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Special Correspondent.) (Received October 27, 7 p.m.) LONDON, October 26. Three New Zealanders took part in the Lancasters’ daylight raid on Milan. Thev were Flying Oflleer It. O. Calvert. * D.F.C., Waikato; Pilot Oilicer 11. J. Barley, Auckland, and Sergeant K. Waters, Hamilton. Barley dropped a 4000-pound bomb which the crews> call “cookies.” “As we climbed to get out of the way of the blast,” said Barley, “we saw the factory coming sky-high toward us, so I guess we hit it.” Calvert paid: “We made our run at 4000 feet and bombed on the stipulated time, then wont down to 800 feet, to allow the gunners to shoot up a couple of factories and also a goods train.”

New Zealanders also raided Genoa, but the Air Ministry its not releasing their names at present.