RUSSIAN RESERVES ARRIVE

Evening Star, Issue 24294, 8 September 1942, Page 3

RUSSIAN RESERVES ARRIVE

STMT-HEARTED DEFENCE HQ CHEAP SUCCESS FOR AXIS LONDON, September 6. The only German progress against Stalingrad reported during the weekend is the capture of a small railway station south-west of the city after a terrific effort. The German High Command to-night states: “ Strong Russian reserves have reached the Stalingrad front. The Russians threw in 10 rifle divisions and seven tank brigades. All the Soviet counter-attacks were conducted with extreme bitterness, but were repulsed. • The German propaganda machine continues to issue warnings against expectations of a “ cheap success.” The Rome radio broadcast an Italian war correspondent’s impressions of Stalingrad’s defences as n “ mushroom growth of minefields, which ring the city. This growth of pillboxes, artillery positions, and barbed wire is several miles deep, and there is also a network of . anti-tank obstacles, including huge steel staples driven into the ground, great anti-tank ratchet wheels,' and camouflaged underground strong points reinforced with steel and concrete, and armed with heavy machine guns. Quickfiring anti-tank guns and armoured cunwas shield the permanent forts.” The Moscow correspondent of ‘The Times ’ says the Wehrmacht is maintaining the .utmost pressure against Stalingrad, but the stout-hearted defenders have been holding the lines since Friday. Almost 40 divisions menace ruined Stalingrad, which is a city with poor natural defences. A violent battle has been raging south-west of the city since dawn on Friday, Wnd gunfire has reached unprecedented intensity. The newspaper 1 Izvestia ’ says that large forces of infantry, tanks, artillery, and planes are in action on both sides. The Germans launched seven attacks with over 100 tanks in one sector during 24 hours, but all were repulsed. Prisoners are unanimous about the heaviness of the enemy’s losses. The Red air force is successfully attacking motor transport columns and petrol tankers along the enemy’s long communication lines, ‘ Izvestia ’ adds. German infantry have suffered appalling losses under Russian shellfire and mortars. The massive enemy wedge in Stalingrad’s north-western defences has not been substantially widened in the past 48 hours.