USE OF ARTILLERY

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

USE OF ARTILLERY

BACKBONE OF RUSSIAN DEFENCE RAIN FALLS ON THE FRONT (Rec. 12.40 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 7. The Germans have not progressed towanjs Stalingrad! for three • days, hut the position remains critical south-west of the city, where the fury of the German attacks is unabated. The Germans are estimated to be using 1,500 planes in the Stalingrad area. Waves of aircraft are attempting to swamp the Russian artillery, which, as always, is the backbone of the Soviet defences. As the city enters the second week of its close siege, German reports mention rain bn the Stalingrad front. It is too' early to attach much significance to this report, but the Germans undoubtedly dread a break in the weather, which turns the dusty steppes into an expanse-of mud, greatly handicapping. the heavily mechanised! attackers. The Russians retain the initiative in the Kletskaya area. German reports mention heavy defensive fighting near the junction of the Khoper and Don Rivers. , , ‘ The Times ’ -Moscow correspondent says the German attacks south-west of Stalingrad are increasingly savage. Enemf tanks late on September 6 made a small advance into the Russian lines. Russian machine gunners . and mortar crews attacked from the flanks, and pinched out the salient. The Germans attacked incessantly, hut the Russian gunners, switching back and f°““ against the tanks and planes, held the Tha correspondent adds that the Russians have shown considerable liveliness north-west of Stalingrad, where several positions have been recaptured. . . . , The position at Novorossisk is obscure, the Germans claiming tne fall ot the naval base, but the Russians are still reporting fighting in the Novorossisk area. , . , The German High Command stated that the Russians desperately threw in troops in an attempt to recapture Novorrossisk, hut all counter-attacks broke down under concentrated fire.

A large-scale battle is in progress on the river bank in the Mosdok area, where the Red Air Force surprised _a strong German force, destroying 50 tanks and about 1,500 men. The Germans are savagely resisting the Russian offensive north-west of Moscow, but the persistent breaking down of the German grip on Bjev continues. T|)o Russians are probing from street to' street, hacking their way through the walls of stone houses and fighting short and savage encounters in the streets.

Fighting proceeds on a fairly large scale at many points between Voronezh and Lake Ladoga. Neither side claims important territorial gains.