NEVER BETTER

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 14 October 1942, Page 5

NEVER BETTER

CHANCES OF SAVING STALINGRAD ADVANCE OF RELIEF ARMY (Rec. 11.20 a.m.) London, Oct. 13. The three day lull at Stalingrad was broken last night when German in- j fantry and tank divisions returned to : the attack. The Russians were not ; surprised but were forced to give a little ground in one city area where I they knocked out 20 tanks. The Germans have only ten days or a fortnight in which to take Stalingrad before the weather makes full scale operation impossible, says Reuter’s correspondent at Stockholm. Snow has fallen already oil the northern and central fronts and in the Mosdok area, where the snowline is creeping quickly from peaks to valleys. There is a growing feelings, says the correspondent, that the chances of saving Stalingrad were never better. A large number of infantry attacked Stalingrad this morning, says Reuter’s 1 Moscow correspondent. These attacks were directed against factory forces in j the north-western suburbs where the | Russians are holding on with charac- i teristic determination. Marshal Timoshenko’s relief army is ! battling north-west of Stalingrad. Il has advanced further southwards and it is now fighting not only in the step- i pes between the Volga and the Don. j

. J hut also in the hill* farther south where i( it captured useful positions. It is at- . ; tempting to drive the Germans from ‘ the hills dominating roads and othei lines of communication. TRENCH WARFARE i The Moscow correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain des ! tribes the fighting north-west of Stalingrad as trench warfare with encircling movements by smaller mobile 1 units. The Russians’ latest advance on this sector was made after intensive ar- | tillery preparation. The Russians then ! drove a wedge through a gap between I two hills. They turned the German holding troops from defensive positions and consolidated on the heights. The struggle which began a fortnight ; ago is still raging for the main moun- | tain pass from Kuban to Tuapse, says Reuter’s Moscow correspondent. A 13 : hour tank battle ensued after the Gei - ! mans made a night attack under a ! smoke screen. The Russians turned j back this thrust but the Germans are still attacking. 1 Vichy radio claims that the Russians j lost 5000 to 10,000 men on the road to ; Tuapse and a further 4000 were taken I prisoners. i Heavy lighting is reported in the Sinyavino area, where the Russians beat back an infantry regiment and 30 tanks and killed 600 soldiers and destroyed 13 tanks. Russians in another sector also repelled German infantry supported by tank? and destroyed 400 troops and nine tanks. GERMAN TERROR RAIDS Reports from Stalingrad mention intensification of German terror raids. Lengths of railway tracks riddled with small holes are being dropped from 5000 feet producing prolonged and earsplitting howls. The Luftwaffe is also using screech whistles and screaming bombs. “Izvestia” says Italian tanks were recently in action at Stalingrad. The Russians found their armour easily I pierced. “Pravda” reports that the great trac i tor works at Stalingrad are still in production. Most of the equipment of the works was transferred east of the Volga, but sufficient was retained to produce some tanks and effect majoi tank repairs. The Moscow correspondent of “The Times” says it is revealed that the defence of the north Russian coast, including Murmansk, Archangel, and the Rybachi peninsula, also the "north subI marine fleet, is under a 36-year-old Cossack. Vice-Admiral Golovko.—P A