RUSSIAN RIPOSTE

Evening Star, Issue 24290, 3 September 1942, Page 5

RUSSIAN RIPOSTE

ITALIAN DIVISIONS CUT UP InONG SORTIE NEAR KLETSKAYA LONDON, Sept. 2. Russian riposte has been to sally across the Don in the Eletskaya area, where, after some days’ bombardment of the Italian positions by artillery and planes, the Russians swarmed carost the Don during the night and cut up two Italian divisions. The Germans are rushing up Hungarian, Rumanian, and Italian reinforcements to Eletskaya. The Russian drive in this area is aimed at cutting off the German route across the Don to Kachelinskaya. The Moscow correspondent of ‘ The Times ’ says fierce Russian bayonet chargee threw the Italians from the high bank of the Don for a considerable distance. - TheGermaneare clearly in considerable difficulties north-west of Eletskaya, and are in danger of losing the main part of the forces which struck across the Don, if the Russians maintain the pressure, which has almost closed around the Germans. Both sides, the correspondent adds, ar» swinging tanks freely across the opm country in this area, where the Germans have yielded some positions ..ad have not advanced anywhere for several days.- Field-Marshal von Bock is eonstantly attempting to provide the endangered force with supplies by transport plane and parachute and by convoys, which are running the gauntlet of a narrow corridor. The Moscow representative of the 1 Daily Express ’ says the German corridor is maintained by strong patrols of light tanks, lorried infantry, and motor cyclists under an umbrella of Meeserschmitts. -A great convoy attempted to dash through during the night, but was trapped in a hail of fire, and was unable to advance or fall back. Only a few lorries recrossed th* Don. The corridor is now a smoking mass of wrecked vehicles. The German News Agency says that Ealach was captured after a battle lasting several days. It is_ the_ keystone of the Stalingrad fortifications. The Moscow of the * Daily Express ’ says the Russians now hold almost half of _ Rjev and have taken several more villages. Progress is slow and painful. According to the Moscow radio, the flnssians delivered heavy counterblows south of Erasnodar and dispensed and wiped out five infantry battalions and recaptured several commanding heights. The battle continues in the vicinity of Prohladnaya. The Germans again unsuccessfully attempted to cross the Terek Raver in the Mosdok area.

Heavy local fighting is reported in the Lake Ilmen and Leningrad areas.