INTENSIVE BOMBING

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 17 October 1942, Page 5

INTENSIVE BOMBING

SOME GROUND GAINED TANKS AND INFANTRY ALSO USED (Rec. 10.15 a.m.) Rugby, Oct. IG. The latest German assault on Stalingrad opened with intensive bombing of Soviet positions, according to a Moscow message. On the north side of the city from the front line back to the Volga crossings the Germans had made 1500 individual flights by 5 p.m. on Wednesday in one sector just over a mile wide and a few miles deep. The enemy flew in waves of between I 30 and 40 planes without cessation and 1 so low that the defending ground forces alone shot down 16. Concentrations of j tanks also advanced into the same deep I narrow sector with new tanks ever I taking the places of those wrecked or 1 burned. After 39 enemy tanks were j knocked out the Russians counter-at- i tacked with their own tanks. The I enemy’s numerical advantage in armour j and manpower, however, along with I overwhelming air superiority, enabled them to advance in a number of sector** Significance attached to the present situation is indicated by the “Red Star," which says: "This is a decisive . battle for Stalingrad. We must hold j the city at any cost. There must be j more stamina, stubbornness and skill | of manoeuvre and we shall repel the j new fierce enemy attacks. The Ger- i mans are launching desperate assaults in their effort to capture Stalingrad. ; The proximity of winter is driving them on. The German High Command j is replenishing divisions incessantly ■ and hurling reinforcements into the j battle straight from the march." In the Soviet offensive north-west of j Stalingrad the Red Army captured : several trench lines and some prisoners. German counter-attacks were ineffective THE MOSDOK AREA In the MosdoTc area several German | attacks supported by tanks were re- 1 pelled. Soviet armoured trains are ' taking an effective part in the fighting. In the Caucasus foothills a German alpine regiment was dislodged from a dominating height and routed. Southeast of Novorossiisk superior enemy forces succeeded in taking one height but Soviet infantry counter-attacked, supported by mortar fire, and recaptured the position and took some prisoners.—B.O.W