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Evening Star, Issue 24293, 7 September 1942, Page 6

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RUSSIAN FRONT. RUGBY, September G.—A Soviet coinnuiiuqiio states; On Sunday our troops engaged in fierce fighting north-'west and south-west of ■Stalingrad, also in the regions of Novorossisk and .Mozclok. There were no important changes elsewhere. A supplement adds that the Russians recaptured several positions north-west of Stalingrad, while in the south-west large enemy tank forces and motorised infantry are attacking without cessation. Here the fighting lias become more and more ferocious, with the Russians firmly holding their positions. According to the 1 Red Star,’ the Germans hare penetrated into the Caucasus range. The enemy is not risking tanks, motor vehices, and motor cyces in the rough mountain passes. He gets his armour to the foothills, where defences are built, tanks’being used as forts and heavy artillery as fire points. Germans, Italians, and Rumanian alpine troops are being used. They scatter over the mountain paths, seizing commanding heights. Behind them come heavily-laden horses with munitions and mountain guns. Behind tho rocks of the Caucasus Russians, Georgians, Ossatians, Armenians, and men from Azerbaijan are fighting to the death against the invader. A Moscow message says that on Saturday evening a large number of German infantry and 85 tanks crossed the Terek River and deployed for action, aiming, to join a battalion which had crossed the ‘previous day. However, Soviet artillery cut off the iinfantry from the tanks and forced a halt. Then artillery and mortars wrecked 15 tanks and forced the remainder to rejoin the infantry. A 'Russian counter-attack then precipitated a fierce engagement which is still raging.