EXTREMELY GRAVE

Evening Star, Issue 24284, 27 August 1942, Page 5

EXTREMELY GRAVE

German Break-through In Depth

Fierce, Confused Fighting Everywhere

(British Official Wireless.) Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright

(Received noon.)

RUGBY,- August 26,

The situation north-west of Stalingrad is described in Moscow messages as extremely grave. Superior enemy forces are reported to be maintaining the pressure despite enormous losses. The danger became imminent when the Germans broke through in depth by cutting the junction between the Soviet forces At the same time, inside the Don Bend, near Klctskaya,' the Soviet defence remains as stubborn as ever and the fighting continues. This morning’s Soviet communique states: Last night our troops waged battles in. the regions of Kletskaya, to northwest of Stalingrad, to north-east of Kotelnikovo and the region of Prokhladnaya, and southward of Krasnodar. In other sectors there is no change. The German break-through north-westward of Stalingrad occurred after several weeks of the most violent battles on the west bank of the Don loop. There several panzer and a number of infantry divisions, as well as heavy artillery, kept pressing day and night. The Germans forced the Don several times, but the Red Army kept wiping out the enemy troops on the east bank. Three days ago, however, the Germans made a supreme effort to cross the river with heavy forces, and finally succeeded under cover of a large number of aircraft. Enemy tanks and motorised infantry penetrated some way into the Soviet defences and began the advance towards Stalingrad from the north-west in the face of fierce resistance. This was especially the case near an unnamed settlement, where a terrific tank battle took place, and the Germans were turned back. * Bed Star ’ says: “ In other directions on this front our units are holding the enemy. The situation is complicated, and fierce battles are raging everywhere. In the Kotelnikovo area, from which the Germans are attempting to drive northeastwards to attack Stalingrad from the flank, a Moscow message this morning says that the Russians somewhat improved their position. The Red Army yesterday repulsed all enemy attacks from this direction, and is still counterattacking” at amumber of points. Though attention naturally is primarily focused on the battle for Stalingrad and the fighting in the foothills of the Caucasus, vigorous actions continue to be fought on tne Voronezh front and north-west of Leningrad. A heavy toil is here being taken of the enemy, says a Moscow message. Forty enemy tanks were destroyed in a two-days battle at Voronezh. Large numbers of Germans and Hungarians,.who were to recapture a town on the west bank of the Don south of Voronezh, were also wiped out.