STALINGRAD’S DANGER

Southland Times, Issue 24827, 20 August 1942, Page 5

STALINGRAD’S DANGER

WITHDRAWAL BY RUSSIANS (Rec. 1.5 a.m.) LONDON, Aug. 19. The German thrust towards Stalingrad and along the Kuban river dominate today’s news from Russia. After fierce fighting the position has deteriorated north-west of Stalingrad. The Russians have been forced to withdraw to new defensive positions, but the German attacks are now held. The Germans were heavily defeated southwest of Stalingrad in a battle lasting two days. Grozny, the Caucasian oil-centre, is now in greater danger from the German lateral thrust in the Caucasus. The German forces which crossed the Kuban river are trying unsuccessfully to press on to the Black Sea port of Novorossisk. The Germans are keeping up the pressure on all the major fronts in Russia and the Red Army has not succeeded in eliminating the wedge driven into its Kletskaya defences. They are inflicting here, as south-west of Stalingrad and the Caucasian fronts, heavy losses, but Field-Marshal von Bock is still apparently able to put in another man and another tank or gun as each is struck down. The battle is bitter and unrelaxing. Bombers and fighters, operating from bases close behind the battle lines, are mercilessly pounding the ground forces apd carrying death and destruction far to thb rear along the lines of reinforcement and supply. HEAVY LOSSES Murderous fighting is raging day and night on all the Caucasian fronts, especially at Mineralny-Vody, tvith both sides suffering heavy losses. The Germans are continuing to advance in some areas and the Russians are trying to exploit fully the terrain at Mineralny-Vody and to take every opportunity to halt or at least slow up the German advance. The Germans are increasing their pressure on the south bank of the Kuban river, which they have crossed in force in the region of Krasnodar. The Russians are counter-attacking to frustrate the attempts to overwhelm the whole of the Russian position. Red Star, organ of the Red Army, reports that as a result of the recent reverses north-east of Kotelnikovo the Germans have withdrawn several miles and are entrenching themselves and awaiting reinforcements. Russian paratroops landed in the rear of the Germans in the Kletskaya area and destroyed two infantry battalions. The German communique says the Germans and their Allies are continuing to attack the Caucasus successfully in the face of stubborn resistance.

Vichy radio reported that the German thrust towards Astrakhan has passed Sangyr, 140 miles to the westward. The Germans have also reached Petropavlosk, 10 miles west of Grozny.

DAMAGE TO RUSSIAN INDUSTRY

LONDON, August 18.

An official summary of the course of the German spring and summer campaign against Russia has been issued in Moscow. It says that, using immense forces, the Germans have succeeded in pushing the Red Army back to a considerable extent and in capturing towns of importance to the Russian war effort. Although these centres have been evacuated and the equipment has been saved and transferred elsewhere Soviet industry has suffered damage as a result of the German gains. The summary adds, however, that the Germans have been able to attack only at Voronej and in the south of the 2000-mile front despite the fact that they have used all their available reserves and armoured forces. At Voronej they have not made one step forward in six weeks and recently the Russians themselves in this sector undertook offensive operations. The Germans are reported to have reached the west bank of the great Don River in the bend opposite Stalingrad. They have not been able to consolidate their positions on this bank of the river, which they must cross before they can assault Stalingrad itself. They are hurling in fresh reserves and new armoured forces in an endeavour to establish themselves before they attempt the crossing,, but a heavy Russian artillery barrage has prevented them from succeeding. In the North Caucasus the battle is raging day and night in all sectors. Especially is this so at Mineralny-Vody. The Germans continue to advance at some places. The Russians, taking advantage of the terrain, are trying to halt or at least slow up the advance. The situation in the Krasnodar area has become graver since the crossing of the Kuban River by the Germans, who are increasing their pressure on the Soviet positions 140 miles from the Grozny oilfields. There is fighting apparently in many places on both sides of the river. Red Star, the Red Army newspaper, says the fighting has practically ceased at most places north-east of Kotelnikovo; the Germans have retreated several miles since their recent reverses and are building up the defences of their positions. • South-east of Kletskaya the Germans are still trying to reach the west bank of the Don, but the Russian resistance is as stubborn as ever and the Red Army is dropping parachute troops in the enemy’s rear. The Germans are using their air forces, artillery and infantry against the parachutists. There has also been heavy fighting south of Kletskaya, where the Germans on Monday drove a wedge into the Soviet front after receiving reinforcements. The Red Army at once struck back on the flanks of the wedge. The fighting then was especially bitter in the central part of the Kletskaya area, where large forces of Germans kept advancing in the face of stubborn resistance. Finally the Russians struck simultaneously on two sides, inflicted heavy losses and blocked the enemy advance.

Red Star comments: “The Germans continue to mass their forces and to attack frequently.”

GERMAN LOSSES IN RUSSIA (Rec. 11 p.m.) MOSCOW, Aug. 18. It is officially stated that the Germans on the Russian front during the three months ended August 15 lost 1,250,000 men, of whom 480,000 were killed. The Soviet lost 606,000 dead, wounded and missing. The Germans lost 3390 tanks, 4000 guns and 4000 planes. The Soviet losses were 2240 tanks, 3162 guns and 2198 planes. The Moscow radio says the Germans transferred 22 divisions, including two tank divisions, from the West to Russia in the last two months, and also flung additional divisions from vassal States against Russia. A superiority of enemy man power and equipment concentrated in a decisive sector enabled the enemy in the Don and Kuban regions to capture large territories and towns, which is a serious loss industrially to Russia. The Russians held and began beating back the Germans at Voronej during the last six weeks, despite the enemy’s reserves of man power and quantity of equipment. The Russians in recent weeks repelled repeated German attacks on the Don bend, and also developed offensive

FUTURE PROBLEMS OF UNITED NATIONS (8.0.W.) RUGBY, August 18. The New Zealand Minister to Washington, the Hon. W. Nash, gave British listeners in a broadcast tonight a message of hope and encouragement for the future. Describing the bombing of Pearl Harbour as marking the end of one era of American history and the beginning of another, Mr Nash said: “American industry, attitudes, habits and way of life have all undergone a remarkable transformation. The American people have become a nation dedicated to the ends of total war, determined to get the job over as quickly as possible.” He went on to say that the battle of production had been won, but, given the arms, equipment and the men to use them, it was still essential to have the means of transporting them. Shipping, therefore, was the most urgent of the many vital problems confronting the United Nations. Unless they could solve the problem the chances were that the tremendous production effort which the United States particularly was putting forth would largely be neutralized. “The shipyards of Britain ana America are performing miracles of constriction, but the hour is late and the need is great,” said Mr Nash. “By our capacity to build ships and keep them afloat to carry war material and reinforcements on an ever-increasing scale to Russia, the Pacifiic, the Middle East and China the final outcome of this conflict may be decided.” NEW ZEALAND’S NEEDS Mr Nash emphasized the “fullest and fairest consideration” which New Zealand’s own needs and those of the Pacific territories she had undertaken to protect had at all times received. Yet, while the loss of the last remaining bases of future offensive action in the South-west Pacific would mean a disastrous, even fatal, setback to the United Nations strategy, he and the New Zealand people were equally convinced that their future safety was no less vitally dependent on Russia s capacity for continued resistance in Europe, on the ability of the Allies to hold Egypt and destroy Field-Marshal Rommel, on the success with which China would maintain the fight, on the future role of India, on the outcome of the effort to meet the submarine menace in the Atlantic and, above all, on the continuing security of Britain herself. “We must therefore,” he said, “prepare for any and every eventuality and serve where the need is greatest. In the Pacific our first and immediate objective must be supremacy in the air and on the sea.” Finally, Mr Nash appealed for the transformation of the United Nations into a symbol of real and vital unity and suggested the setting up now of a World Reconstruction Council for mapping out a positive programme for carrying on the world of peace. The council should have subsidiary councils organized on a regional basis. ’FUNCTION OF COUNCILS

operations against the enemy on the Bryansk and Kalinin north-western fronts. The Germans were able to advance appreciably only in the south, where their losses are tremendous.