DON ELBOW BATTLE

Southland Times, Issue 24826, 19 August 1942, Page 5

DON ELBOW BATTLE

GERMANS REACH RIVER (Rec. 7 p.m.) LONDON, Aug. 17. The situation is tense for the Russians within the Don Elbow, north-west of Stalingrad, and is daily growing more difficult. The Germans seem to have followed their usual policy of disregarding the cost and have established some positions on a short stretch of the Don’s west bank. The Russians are smashing back at the Germans’ advanced posts

and they are also reported to he strengthening their defensive

positions between the Don and the Volga to meet any isolated

break through across the Don by the Germans.

Reports vary regarding the extent of the German occupation of the riverbank posts. It is clear that the intensity of the battle for these positions has been unabated for a week, also that the German drive for Stalingrad is at present the focal point of the Russian front struggle. German penetration eastwards along the foot of the Caucasus is continuing. The most easterly German column is still that which was reported to have taken Elista last week. It is now reported from enemy sources to be operating about 140 miles west of the Caspian Sea. The Stockholm correspondent of The Times says that the Germans are still hammering at the Russian positions in the Lower Kuban area near Krasnodar. They have been brought to a standstill at Cherkask. Russian aggression in the Voronej, Bryansk, Vyazma and Rjev areas is apparently making it more difficult for the Germans to withdraw their troops for use in other sectors where the attack is slowing up. The Russians continue their advances around Voronej, where the German attempts to retake strategic lines are unavailing. ACTIVITY OF BAKU The Moscow correspondent of The Times reports prodigious Russian activity at Baku, one of the other great Caucasian oil centres. “Old men, women and youths are working in the oil fields and the factories day and night to step up production without delay,” he says. Very strict fuel economy has been ordered throughout Russia. The Russian communique states that in the past 24 hours Russian troops have fought tense defensive battles in the area south-east of Kletskaya where, at the cost of heavy losses, the enemy has succeeded in driving a wedge into the advanced Russian positions. This wedge means that the enemy is now near the west bank of the Don at this point. The Don is, however, 40 miles away from Stalingrad here and the enemy has not yet attempted to cross the river. He has been unable to gain sufficient control of the Don bend to mount the necessary offensive. North-east of Kotelnikovo Russian troops, after repelling several enemy assaults, have counter-attacked and routed a Rumanian infantry regiment. In the Mineralny-Vody area Red Army troops under the pressure of numerically superior enemy forces have effected a fighting withdrawal to new positions.

RUSSIANS FIGHT TO WEAKEN ENEMY

(8.0.W.) RUGBY, August 17. Urging all units of the Red Army to repulse and smash the enemy,” M. Alexanderov, head of the Soviet Propaganda Department, in a broadcast has emphasized the present danger to the Soviet. “The present bloody battles are being fought to weaken the enemy in order that heavy blows may be dealt later,” he says. ‘The enemy has already had 3,500,000 men killed, but he is still trying to break through in the south. “The fighting is different from that of last year because their enormous losses have prevented the Germans from attacking along the whole front. The enemy has thrown all his forces and reserves into the battle in the south and has thus achieved numerical superiority, but the resistance of the Red Army is increasing and the Germans and their lackeys are being bled white. They have advanced, but they have not got what they wanted and they will never get it.” Seventy-five thousand feet of film taken during the last two months by Soviet guerrillas in German occupied territory have reached Moscow by the air service which provides a regular service between the guerrillas and the Soviet Union. Part of the film shows German activities and another part guerrilla activities against the Germans.

The newspaper Red Fleet reports that a considerable portion of the Luftwaffe is now engaged in mass raids on Novorossisk, Anapa and Tuapse.