STALINGRAD ACTIONS

Marlborough Express, Volume LXXVI, Issue 243, 15 October 1942, Page 5

STALINGRAD ACTIONS

RUSSIANS REAPING REWARD REDUCED ENEMY STRIIONG POWER.

B.O.W.

RUGBY, Oct. 14.

Fighting at Stalingrad, aocording to Moscow, now takes the form of brief but fierce local skirmishes everywhere, with slightly heavier encounters at a factory settlement in the northwestern suburbs. The Red Army continues offensive operations north-west and south of Stalingrad, improving its positions, capturing advantageous lines and repeiling counter- attacks. In the south the Russians have captured a vital stronghold. South-east of Novorossisk the Russians continue mopping up. An unnamed settlement has been recaptured from the enemy. All the German attacks in the Mosdok-^fea have been repelled. Signs are accumulating that the Russians are beginning to reap the fruits of Stalingrad's heroic defence in which they have destroyed much of the German striking power and deducted invaluable weeks from Hitler's campaigning season. It is now 1 almost two months since the Germans began to develop the pincers movement against Stalingrad from the north-west and from Kotelnikovo. The Germans are now bombing the Grozny oilfields with incendiaries, which is a sign that they consider they are at present unable to capture them. Winter sncws are apipearing in the Caucasus, while Berlin reports that torrential autumn rains have set in on all the Russian fronts, transforming the roads into mudtraeks on which mctorised movement is most difficult. The Stockholm correspondent of The Times says that the latest news indicates that the Germans are preparing for what they believe or hope to be really the final assault against Stalingrad, which remains a threatening bridgehead against the German winter line. Even if Stalingrad is eventually eliminated, it is questionable now whether the Germans will undertake the prodigious task originally intended of pressing 200 miles down the Volga to Astrakhan to secure their winter flank. RUSSIAN INITIATIVE. Berlin radlo describes the Stalingrad operations as the repulse of

Russian attempts to break out of the iron pincers in which the Germans gripped the city. The radio adds that Russian reinforcements are constantly arriving at Stalingrad across the Volga, indicating that more attacks can be expected. , A Berlin spokesman announces that the chief activity is German raids, espeeially opposite Moscow to ascertain the Russian intentions. This new tone runs through most official and unofficial. German reports, admitting in effect that the turn has come for the Russians to take the initiative generally. The Times's Moscow correspondent says that operations north-west of Stalingrad between the Don and the Volga and also further westward appear to have resolved into a series of rapidly-moving battles of meehanised units between the respective entrenched lines. The Russians are gradually moving their lines forward. The Russians are aetively reconnoitring south of Voronej. Strong forces crossed the Don and took up positions on the right bank. Russian troops at Stalingrad have regained a position lost the previous day, says last night's Moscow communique. On other sectors of the city front, there were artillery and rnortar duels. In the Mosdok region an attack by two enemy infantry battalions supported by tanks and planes was repulsed. South-east of Novorossisk Soviet Marines repelled an attack and improved their positions. They destroyed two Rumanian companies. In one sector of the north-western front an enemy attack was beaten off with fairly heavy losses. The Russians in the northern Caucasus are l'eported to be making extensive use of annoured trains in the co-ordination with cavalry, infantry and the air force. In one battle an armoured train, along with cavalry, killed 1300 Germans, In another engagement two trains killed 1400.