VOLGA UNDER FIRE

Evening Star, Issue 24330, 20 October 1942, Page 3

VOLGA UNDER FIRE

RUSSIAN FERRIES ENDANGERED

MASS AIR RAIDS ON CITY

LONDON, October 18. “ The Germans are perilously close to the Volga in northern Stalingrad. They have the Volga bank under direct fire, endangering the'Russian ferries,” says the Moscow correspondent of the Columbia broadcasting system. “ The German guns are carrying out a duel ■with the Russians’ field guns mounted in steel barges, which are towed by motor boats. These small ships swarm close to the . shore in surprise, night attacks. The Russians call them ‘ river tanks.’ The Luftwaffe is again making mass raids on Stalingrad, and the Germans are relentlessly pounding the city in an attempt to pulverise the remaining defences.” “ The Germans to-day threw the Third Infantry Division into the gap gouged* on Friday by the capture of the workers’ settlement in the northern outskirts of Stalingrad,” says the Moscow correspondent of the ‘ Daily Express.’ “The Germans have made 28 attacks since Friday night, all of which have been repulsed. The twenty-ninth is now in progress. The Germans claim to haye reached the Volga hank in three places. This is untrue, but it must bo recognised that they are not far from the river. The most notable

of all the defending units is the Guards Infantry Division, commanded by Gene- , ral Rodimtsev. They crossed the Volga in- pontoons and boats on September 27 and went straight into battle. They • have been fighting without pause for .21 days. They went over to the offensive on Saturday, held a new German thrust,' and forced the Germans to fall back in one sector.”

The Moscow correspondent .of * The Times,’ says that the Germans, after driving a" narrow salient into northern Stalingrad, are now attempting _ to .drive, north and south from the salient parallel to the Volga. They were making soma progress in the southern drive, where a critical situation developed until a Russian flank attack restored the situation.

PUNISHMENT OF WAR CRIMINALS

POLISH CABINET DECREE

(British Official Wireless.)

(Rec. 10.35 a.m.) RUGBY, Oct. 19. Planning for the punishment of German _war criminals ; the Polish Cabinet has issued a special decree attaching criminal responsibility for crimes committed in Poland after August 1, 1939. ■Actions contravening international law and harmful to the Polish State, institutions,'and firms will be punished by imprisonment, or by death if such actions caused death, special suffering, deportation or transfer of populations, imprisonment of individuals, general danger to human beings, compulsory military service in; foreign armies, or destruction or damage to property of national value.

JU. 88 SHOT DOWN

(British Official Wireless.)

(Rec. 10.35 a.m.) RUGBY, Oct. 19. The Admiralty states that a Ju. 88 which attempted to cross the east coast of England this morning was shot down by A.A. gunfire from H.M. trawler Lovania and A.A. guns at a naval base. It crashed inland and later exploded.

' AIR MINISTRY APPOINTMENTS

(British Official Wireless.)

(Fee.. 10.35 a.m.) RUGBY. Oct. 19. Air Chief Marshal Sir Wilfred Freeman has been appointed chief executive at the Ministry of Aircraft Production, Under the Minister he will co-ordinate and direct tho production, research, and development sides of the department. He retired from the R.A.F. and Air Council, and the King promoted him GiC.B., Air Vice Marshal C. E. H. Medhurst is appointed to act temporarily as Vice-Chief of the Air’ Staff, and an additional member of the Air Council.

YEHUDI MENUHIN

(British Official Wireless.)

(Rec. 9.45 a.m.)

RUGBY, Oct. 19,

Yehudi Menuhin, the American violinist, will arrive in England within a few days to give a series of concerts for American and British troops and the British public. He has given his services voluntarily.

ACCIDENT TO DANISH KING

(British Official Wireless.) (Rec. 10.25 a.m.) RUGBY, Oct. 19. King Christian of Denmark, who’ fell from his horse to-day and was taken to hospital, is stated in an official Copenhagen report to have sustained a fairly large wound on the back of his head. There were no symptoms of con-, mission or _ fracture of- the skull, and condition is satisfactory, but he wi’>> be confined to bed for some days. King Christian is 72 years of age.