VILLAGES RETAKEN

Evening Star, Issue 24286, 29 August 1942, Page 5

VILLAGES RETAKEN

SOVIET COUNTER-ATTACK BATTLE HORTH-WEST OF STALINGRAD (Received 12.10 p.m.) 1 LONDON, August 28. While the Russians are continuing their advance on the central front and have opened a counteroffensive near Shlusselburg, they also have had success before Stalingrad. The British United Press Moscow correspondent reports that the Russians have retaken three villages in a counter-attack northwest of ' Stalingrad. In this counter-attack the Russians cut the communications of the force which breached the Russian lines a few days ago. They are'steadily wiping out the remainder of 100 tanks which were the original force, despite determined German attempts to supply them from transport planes..

The ‘ Rod Star ’) says the Russians in the Kletskaya area are pressing the enemy hard at many points on the Don bend.

The Moscow radio states that the Russians on 1 the central front repelled counter-attacks and occupied eight fortified inhabited localities. The Germans are reported to be moving up large forces of tanks and planes in the Rjev. sector. The Russians continue to advance on the Kalinin front. The Germans are kiHng inhabitants in the villages they are forced to leave.

A Stockholm message reports that the Russians have begun a new coun-ter-offensive near Shlusselhurg. The Germans have only partly checked the attacks, which are continuing.

SYSTEMATIC BOMBING

MASS RAIDS ON STALINGRAD LONDON, Aug. 28. Vast air battles are being fuugnt over and behind the Stalingrad, front. A Reuter message from Moscow says that mass air raids on the Rotterdam model are being carried out against the residential, area of the city. Hundreds of high explosives are bejng dropped, and the planes are coming over, in waves, systematically bombing one section after another. At the same time the Germans are dropping leaflets announcing the day and the hour on which they will march through the city. The Russians yesterday threw back 10 German attacks north-west of Stalingrad and 11 in areas to the southwest.

FEROCIOUS FIGHTING

GRIM DEFENCE OF STALINGRAD LONDON, August 27. Although the Russian drive on the central front continues tomake encouraging progress, there is still no evidence that it has brought any marked relief for Marshal Timoshenko’s hard-pressed forces before Stalingrad and in the Caucasus. Stalingrad’s position remains very critical, even discounting the Vichy report that German advanced units have reached the Volga at Dubovka and are advancing southwards. The latest statement by the German High Command on the operations in this area claims that a German tank division yesterday drove 25 miles into heavily-fortified positions to the southwest of Stalingrad, but there is no indication that ’ this brings the invaders closer to Stalingrad than was earlier reported. The Germans in this sector are hurling more and more reinforcements into the battles, the ferocity of which, correspondents report, has no parallel throughout the war in Russia. Berlin reports, which a few days ago were confidently proclaiming that the fall of Stalingrad was only a question of days, are now more cautious, and refer to extremely difficult fighting before the city. Indeed, the Berlin military spokesman warned journalists not to expect Stalingrad _ to fall quickly, adding: “ The Russians have many times shown a surprising aptitude to bring in large reinforcements at the last minute, and have succeeded in converting apparently already accomplished defeats into long «ta nn'- 1 deadlocks, notably at Leningrad apd Moscow in

SUBSTANTIAL VICTORY

RUSSIAN CENTRAL ATTACK

MOSCOW’S DANGER EASED

(British Official Wireless.)

(Rec. 11.50 a.ra.) RUGBY, Aug. 28. Commenting on the Russian successes in the central sector, ‘ Ttie Times ’ says General Zukhov and General Koniev won a substantial victory which should have forestalled any possibility of the immediate resumption of the offensive against' Moscow, and may well be exploited to great effect in the weeks to come. ‘ The Times,’ however, doubts that this success will have any immediate effect on Marshal Timoshenko’s armies, and adds that the German capture of Stalingrad would undoubtedly be a great disaster. But this threat has been long foreseen, and much has been achieved to mitigate it, huge supplies of oil having been built up in other regions. Even if the Germans succeed in capturing Baku itself, 1 The Times ’ says, the reserves already accumulated should suffice to maintain the Russian armies through the winter and far into next year’s campaign', when other forces of' the United Nations may reasonably be expected to take their part. As part of their offensive against Stalingrad, the Germans are launching numerous heavy air attacks against the city. A Moscow message says, 90 German aircraft were shot down in two days, but the Luftwaffe succeeded in dropping hundreds of bombs in the centre of the city. The message adds, however, that the aircraft were unable to break through the Russian anti-air-craft defences guarding vital military objectives.

CENTRAL SECTOR OFFENSIVE

SOVIET SUCCESSES AT RJEV

GERMAN THRUST TO CASPIAN

LONDON, August 27. The Russians operating on the central front promise complete liquidation of the dangerous Rjev pocket-—dangerous because Rjev is a potential springboard for resumption ht attacks against Kalinin and Moscow. Bitter street fighting is raging at Rjev, and the Germans are putting up a desperate resistance. All war correspondents agree on the very high strategical importance of the city. The Russians, entering from the northern outskirts,.are steadily working their way towards the centre of the city; but it is a slow, grim job. Moscow newspapers do not hide the sanguinary character of the lighting nor the bitterness of German resistance, which the newspaper ‘ Pravda ’ describes as “ the strength of despair.” Meanwhile other Russian forces are battering to the south against the Rjev bulge, liberating village after village and steadily overcoming what the Stockholm correspondent of the ‘ Daily Telegraph ’ describes ns the world’s strongest and deepest system of fortifications.

The Stockholm representative of • The Times ’ describes the Rjev offensive as the most important since Marshal Timoshenko’s spring move against Kharkov. The correspondent points out that heavy Russian pressure extends to the south beyond Kalugi to the Orel region. The Moscow correspondent of the British United Press says: “The scope of the Russian offensive is widening both to the north and the south of Rjev, and the envelopment of the powerful German garrison at Gjatsk is now threatened.”

The newspaper ■ 1 zvestia' ’ stresses that the Russian reserves are far from the point of exhaustion, and only part of those available for central front operations are at present being used. The Moscow correspondent of ‘ The Times ’ declares that when the Russian offensive began the Germans had 150,000 first grade troops ensconsed in strong positions. FIFTY MILES F~Sf£ SSS2NY. The Germans’ chief effort in the Caucasus, it seems, is now directed towards the Caspian, and they are pro-, bably within 50 miles of Groziiy. The Russians, who are greatly outnumbered, continue stoutly to prevent the German efforts to cross the river in the vicinity of Mozdok. The British United Press reports that the Germans are now pushing down the main railway to the Caspian in an effort to reach Gudermes, If they reach their objective the Germans will control the branch lino to Grozny.

The Moscow correspondent of the ‘ Daily Telegraph ’ points out that the German progress to Mozdok represents an advance of 35 miles in three days,,