Russians Advance on Moscow Front

Manawatu Times, Volume 67, Issue 205, 28 August 1942, Page 5

Russians Advance on Moscow Front

Appalling Carnage Reund Stalingrad (By Telegraph-Press Assn.—Copyright.) Received Bhursday, 7.36 p.m. LOxnDON, Aug. 26. ..aoiiaivos Wiucu uu&off on uie a-jwv ..XXii* UUV.UiHVt) on UiC AVIXXxAX ill IiUUU .. ju-iuuu uuuc nx Uiu n*si. two uajs auu ..sj pffbCwS, iXiCXdxxiXiti lill'Cv •»***# nueittcei*. JJOicy-iiVo txxuUoax*~ -wxunui uuicciU iUIU niv.u Hutu UcuU iv.u«u ..u *t»v cauxxd ttuu uvu fcux.o cityUUeu. xnou&n Benin nos apoxnsu ox me ...ob iuewuufl oi lucui oy me XvUbb. .«*£>. .. ooc ana Vvcsl ox. xsaoseuw recoxxs tne pex.ou ummg Wiin wnxen buuiu laancneu *xxs» wniter oneusive last xsecemoer *** wruoi to save xaoscow. Tne .uusaxanwaten hexd nexr mow until me uaugw* oWwpt up to tne very ramparts oi jm/owow. iww General Lnu«.ov s armies nave moveu a week after tne Germans bro*w ..ii oUc.it nut ui-tusoxU'dn of the rs.nnyausk bnugeneaa on the Lowt. ouit duu Oogan uwa' fierce unve tnrougu .toieinuiovo anu are to-uay battering .gainst tne outer uexences ox taxing rau. it is still too e&riy to forecast tne oatecL ot General -nunov's attack upon bne cruciaf uatties wmun a uay s maren ot Btauugi’au, out me figures contameu »n a special Moscow communique meariy muicate the weight ox the rtussian attack. German official reports for the past fortnigni have indicated a strong *tussian attack on the Rjev ana Vxazma areas, and Moscow’s communique inuioates mat these attacks have ueen on a considerably more substantial scale than the continuous prou.ng activity conducted througuout tne earner part of the summer. Kjev, Gjatsa and Viazma—ad strongly deienued heugehogs to which the Germans clung wnen the Russian winter offensive forced them westward —comprise a formidable triangle of great strategical importance, covering Smolensk, which is the pivot of the German .ront in Russia.

Stalin has ordered Marshal Timoshenko to hold Stalingrad at all costs, with the result that the full weight of the Russian armoured reserves first moved up to the front to-day. The Germans replied with more dive-bombers and fighterbombers, which are swooping in continuously against the strongly-fortified Russian positions. Tire carnage on both sides is appalling. The battle tor Stalingrad is still moving in favour of the Germans, despite the Russians’ valient efforts. The Moscow correspondent cf the Telegraph reports that the Russians are still retreating in the Kuban Caucasus, where the Germans have established tank and aiif superiority. The Vichy radio declared that the Germans in the north Caucasus have reached Krasnaya, on the RostqvBaku railway.

Stalingrad, which is one of the greatest steel cities in Europe, is preparing for a siege, and the Home Guard, consisting of tens of thousands of workers, with women and children are building defences and digging trenches. The Germans exaim to have reached a points 25 miles from the City from the north-west.

The News-Chronicle correspondent says that, after the Germans had establisheu a bridgehead over the Don river, they forced their way through the Russian defences at oho point. The situation is grave because of the fact that the enemy is able to reinforce strongly from across the river. South-west of Stalingrad, the correspondent says, .the Germans are being held, but the situation is sbrious and the Russians have launched a counter-attack. South of Krasnodar the Russians have repelled enemy assaults and are holding defensive positions in the hilly country. STALINGRAD POSITION EXTREMELY GRAVE KuGBY, Aug. 26. The situation noi wi-west of tttaun--0i a au is described m xuoseow messageas extremely grave, ouperior euem.) iorces are repoi uea to oe mainuumnt, then - pressure uespiie enormous losses, rue uanger to siaiaigrau became immanent wnen tne Bermans broke tnrougu •n depth by cutting the junction between 00/xec loroes. At the same time inside the Don benu near Klecsaaya the soviet ueience remains as stuoborn as ever and fighting continues. The morning’s Soviet communique states: Last night our troops wageu uatties in the regions of Kleiskaya, to die north-west of Stalingrad, to the north-east of Koteinikovo, and in the region of -t J rokhlaunaya,\ and southward of Krasnodar. In other sectors there was no change. The German break-through north-west of Stalingrad occurred after several weeks of the most violent battles on the west bank of the Don loop. There several panzer and a number of infantry divisions, as well as neavy artillery kept pressing day and night. The Germans fcrced the Don several times, but cue Rea Army Kept Wiping out the enemy troops on the east bank. Three days ago, however, the Germans made a supreme effort to cross the river with heavy forces and finally succeeded under cover of a large number of aircraft. Enemy tanks and motorised infantry penetrated some way into the Soviet defences and began to advance towards Stalingrad from the north-west in face of fierce resistance. This was especially the case near an unnamed settlement, where a terrific tank battle took place and the Germans were turned back. The Red Star says: In other directions on this front our units are holding the enemy. The situation Is complicated, and fierce battles are raging everywhere. In the Kotelnikovo area, whence the Germans are attempting to drive northeastwards to attack Stalingrad from the flank, a Moscow message this morning says the Russians have somewhat improved their position. The Red Army yesterday repulsed all enemy attacks In tills direction and was then siul counterattacking at a number of points. Though attention is naturally primarily focussed on the battle for Stalingrad and the fighting in the foothills of the Caucasus, vigorous actions continue to be fought on the Voronej and north-west of Leningrad. Heavy toll is here being taken of the enemy, says a Moscow message. Forty enemy tanks were destroyed in a two day battle at Voronej. Lafge numbers oi Germans and Hungarians, who were trying to recapture a town on the west bank of the Don south of Voronej were also wiped out. 610 POINTS RECAPTURED ON MOSCOW FRONT LONDON, Aug. 26. Moscow radio, in a special announce* ment to-day declarer that the Russians took the offensive on the Kalinin and the western ironts, broke through 30 to 46 miles, and reoccupied mwe than 600 inhabited places. They routed seven German infantry divisions and also two motorised divisions and one tank division. Fierce fighting is proceeding jn the outskirts of RJev. The special Moscow announcement concerning the Soviet advance west of Moscow said that Amopg the 610 inhabited localities liberated by August 20 were the towns of Zubzov, Karmanovo and Potoroonoye. "According to uncompleted figures,” says the announcement, "our troops captured 250 tanks, 750 guns, 567 mortars and much other booty, while 324 tanks were destroyed.

"In aerial combat 252 planes were shot down, and 290 were destroyed on the ground. This Soviet break-through was organised by Generals Zhukov and 'Koniev,” the announcement concludes This offensive is interpreted as part of

the Russian general strategy of attrition • ather than a plan for the Immediate relief of Stalingrad, but it is likely to prevent the Germans from overrunning the Volga city’s defences with reinforcements drawn from these northern fronts.

The manner in which the Germans are rushing Stalingrad from three directions indicates their determination to take the city and cut the Volga artery before the Russians can be rallied or a second front opened elsewhere. The Russian counter-attacks may also divert some of the Luftwaffe strength which Is at present pounding against Stalfngrad’s defences, war factories, and river traffic.