POURING ACROSS DON

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

POURING ACROSS DON

NAZI DRIVE FOR STALINGRAD CITY AN ENTRENCHED CAMP LONDON, August 25. The battle for Stalingrad is growing in intensity. German* armoured forces and infantry, with formidable air support, pushed one steel spearhead after another from the Don towards Stalingrad yesterday afternoon and last night. The Germans regrouped immediately they crossed the Don elbow in the central sector, and then swept on against the Russian defence lino The Germans are also pressing attacks from the north-east of Kotelnivoko, where another fierce battle is in progress. It is from this direction that the Gormans claim to have penetrated 12 miles. The Russians have not yet admitted such a wedge, but they state that a Gorman force in this vicinity is being persistently attacked from the flanks. It is clear that the major German stabs from the north-west, west, and south-west have not yet been halted, though they have been somewhat slowed up in the centre, where German tanks and troops are still pouring across the Don. GERMAN PARACHUTE TROOPS.

The Stockholm correspondent of the ‘ Daily Express ’ says Marshal von Bock, seeking to counter the heavy resistance and hasten the smashing of the Russian defence around Stalingrad, has landed large forces of parachute troops behind the Russian positions. Parachute troops in groups of upwards of 100 were dropped around railways and road junctions 12 to 20 miles to the rear of the Russians, who are engaging them strongly. Junkers 52’s are continuously carrying to their parachute troops motor ■ cycles, tanks, anti-tank guns, and mortars with which to reinforce their tommy guns and grenades. German heavy bombers launched

their first intensive mass attack against Stalingrad to-day. Russian fighters attacked them, and anti-aircraft guns put up a terrific resistance. It is feared that the civilian population suffered heavily. The raiders aimed principally for the central railway station, Volga shipping, and armoured factories. Despaches from all sources agree that Stalingrad is an entrenched camp. The inhabitants are not evacuating tbe city, but are facing up to the enemy undeterred by air raids. Stevedores are working day and night in servicing Volga ships, factories are feverishly turning out weapons, and the defenders are every hour increasing anti-tank traps and strengthening strong points DEFENDERS HANDICAPPED. The Moscow correspondent of the ‘ Daily Express ’ reports that a crack Guards division which won honour before Moscow under General Zhukov last winter is now in Stalingrad’s front line. It is agreed that Stalingrad will fight back as grimly as Leningrad and Moscow, although handicapped with lack of ground for manoeuvring and possibly with lack of communications. Marshal von Bock is reported to he smashing against Stalingrad with 58 divisions His weakness is the army’s exhaustion. He has been fighting without halt for three months and has traversed nearly 300 miles. The Eletskaya hills and the Kotelnikovo steppes cost him 20,000 to 50.000 men, probably 1.000 tanks, and perhaps as many planes. The question is: Will exhaustion show itself, as before Moscow last November, when the Red Army struck back?

Science Monitor,’ who lias just returned to America from Australia. ,

“ The task confronting the United Nations is to light a successful holding war from China, Siberia, and Australia until major American forces can.- be directed to those places,” he says. “ Meanwhile, the -Japanese conquests will ho consolidated intensively if the enemy is left in unharassed possession of the occupied are.as. Our supply lines are the longest ever known in warfare, our command is not unified, and shipments of men and material for the Pacific are determined not by needs, but by what can he spared from other fronts. The Japanese tactics have displayed considerable ability on the part of the High Command, which at no point has been tempted to over-exten-sion by easy victory It has always kept its basic aim—namely, to push back the whole periphery.” Mr Harsch believes that Japan is unlikely to embark on any fresh ambitious moves until she has consolidated her present holdings, and therefore be considers that Japan will not attack Siberia, but will prefer to wait for a cheaper conquest if Russia collapses. “ Undoubtedly Japan considers that Australia and New Zealand are desirable,”' says Mr Harsh, “ but they are regarded as of secondary importance owing to their relative poverty of raw materials and war resources.”-