HUGE TANK RESERVES

Evening Star, Issue 24283, 26 August 1942, Page 5

HUGE TANK RESERVES

RUSSIANS’ GREAT EFFORT ENEMY PARACHUTISTS IN CAUCASUS (Bee. 12.10 p.m.) LONDON, Aug. 25. Huge Russian tank reserves have been thrown in against the German forces advancing on StahnBrad,8 rad, and terrific tank battles are e'ing fought out beneath the blazing sun, says the ‘ Daily Telegraph’s ’ Moscow correspondent. Despite the desperate Russian resistance. German panzers have reached within 30 miles of the city in the north-west and 50 miles in the south-west. Neither s : de is counting the cost, and the battler fields are scenes of dreadful carnage. The German Hi eh Command to-night claimed that a tank shock force from the south-west had penetrated 12 miles towards Stalingrad after bitter fighting. ■ Stalingrad citizens are being mobilised to dig trenches and other defences around the citv. Factories are being moved to the east bank of the Volga, With the German pincers reaching towards Stalingrad comes news of a third threat against the city. According to the Vichy radio, the Germans have launched a frontal attack from the extreme point of the Don Bend on both sides of Kalach. German tanks, guns, and infantry are still pouring across the Don by means of bridges, boats, and rafts.

‘ Pravda ’ reports that the Germans have begun landing a large number of parachutists behind tie Russian lines on the Caucasus front. Groups of 100, armed with _ tommy guns, machine guns, and mine throwers, are appearing in the path of the retreating Russian units.'

Other Moscow sources report «tuhhom battles in many places south ot Krasnodar, where, according to the * Red Star,’ the situation is steadily getting worse. Large German forces were thrown into the fighting _ for Khladnaya. where the Russians vigorously counter-attacked. h”i the position is grave, as the Russians are heavily outnumbered.

A German communique savs Rumanian formations captured Emtryuk.