NO RUSSIAN WITHDRAWAL

Southland Times, Issue 24822, 14 August 1942, Page 5

NO RUSSIAN WITHDRAWAL

HEAVY FIGHTING (Rec. 1.15 a.m.) LONDON, Aug. 13. Marshal Semion Timoshenko s forces are standing firm in front of Stalingrad, but the situation of the Russians in the Caucasus is as grave as ever. North-west of Stalingrad the Russians have driven off German attacks. South-west of the city they have improved their position after inflicting huge losses on the Germans in bitter fighting in the Kotelnikovo area. No further withdrawal in the Caucasus has been announced by the Russians since their troops fell back to Cherkask. It is thought the Germans in this area may drive north in an attempt to cut the Volga south of Stalingrad or they may turn south and try to reach Baku. They are now 200 miles from the Caspian Sea. The Moscow correspondent of the British United Press emphasizes that the next phase of the Caucasian battles —the mountain campaign—is yet in its early stages and there is still ample time for the Russians to halt their long retreat. He and other correspondents look hopefully towards indications of

stiffening Russian resistance in the Cherkask area, where the Russian High Command is believed to be throwing in some hardy Caucasian reserves. The Red Army newspaper Red Star, commenting on the Caucasian fighting, says: “The temporary Russian misfortune has not weakened our faith or our strength or the possibility of defeating the enemy.” RUSSIAN RESERVES Paris radio declared that Russian reserves are being brought up from the Far East and are massing between the Don and the Volga before. Stalingrad. An Ankara report claims that the Rusisans have 60 divisions totalling 900,000 men stationed in the Kiubysha area called a strategic army in readiness, to be used when the most urgent crisis develops. Bitter engagements are in progress behind the German lines on the Bryansk front, where the enemy is intensifying his efforts and is using many tanks to liquidate a large partisan army lying uncomfortably close to the vital supply route. The partisans are reported to have killed 200,000 men and destroyed 19 trains in the past few days. The German attacks in the Kletskaya and Kotelnikovo areas continue with unabated strength, but no further, advance by the enemy in either of these important sectors is reported officially by the Soviet. However, the Russian Army newspaper Red Star says that the Germans are throwing fresh troops into the struggle and admits a Russian withdrawal in one place. LINE ON KUBAN RIVER In the Northern Caucasus the Russians are defending the line of the Kuban River around Krasnodar against superior enemy forces. A Moscow message says that the Russian forces are battering at a German wedge which they have cut off at its base. The situation in the Maikop region, however, is described as serious as the Germans are using every effort to push on, probably with the intention of capturing Pyatigorsk, 50 miles east of Cherkask. It is believed in London that German progress to the south is slackening as the Caucasus foothills are reached. To the east, where there is no such barrier, the Germans seem to be pushing on fast. It is not yet apparent whether the Soviet High Command will be able, with the forces available, to make a stand covering the naval base at Novorossisk and the port of Tuapse, the defence of which would extend the line by scores of miles. Further slight progress by the Russians south of Voronej is announced.