GERMANS FORCED BACK

Southland Times, Issue 24834, 28 August 1942, Page 5

GERMANS FORCED BACK

RUSSIAN ATTACK IN MOSCOW AREA LONDON, August 26. A special Moscow announcement reveals that 15 days ago the Red Army in the Moscow area began offensive operations in the directions of Rjev, Vyazma, and Kalinin. In the first two days of the attack on a front of 200 miles the Germans were forced back between 25 and 30 miles over a 90 miles front. They lost 45,000 men killed and the Russian booty includes 250 tanks and 800 guns. The position of Stalingrad is officially described in Moscow as “complicated and grave, but by no means hopeless. The people of the city, including its Home Guards, have been mobilized for its defence, as were the people of Leningrad and Moscow. Thirty-five miles north-west of Stalingrad Marshal Timoshenko has halted the German advance after an immense tank battle. In this area the Germans forced a passage of the Don by concentrating everything that they could muster to deliver a blow of terrific weight. Every plane at the command of the Luftwaffe was deployed in the skies above the river. The crossing achieved, several complete tank divisions rolled up and swept towards Stalingrad. Thirty-five miles from the city they were met head on by Marshal Timoshenko’s tank forces and were held. South-west of the city the offensive has once again spent its force and the Soviet forces have counterattacked at all points. Though attention is, naturally, primarily^focussed on the battle for Stalingrad and on the fighting in the foothills of the Caucasus, vigorous actions continue to be fought on the Voronej front and north-west of Leningrad. Heavy toll is here being taken of the enemy. Forty enemy tanks have been destroyed in a two-days’ battle at Voronej. Large numbers of Germans and Hungarians who tried to recapture a town on the west bank of the Don south of Voronej have also been wiped out. The situation north-west of Stalingrad is described in Moscow messages as extremely grave. Superior enemy forces are reported to be maintaining pressure despite enormous losses. The danger became imminent when the Germans broke through in depth by cutting the junction between the Soviet forces. At the same time inside the Don bend near Kletskaya the Soviet defence remains as stubborn as ever and fighting continues. CROSSING OF THE DON The German break-through northwest of Stalingrad occurred after several weeks of most violent battles on the west bank of the Don loop. There several armoured and a number of infantry divisions, as well as heavy artillery, kept pressing day and night. The Germans forced the Don several times, but the Red Army kept wiping out enemy troops on the east bank. Three days ago, however, the Germans made a supreme effort to cross the river with heavy forces and finally succeeded under cover of a large number of aircraft. Enemy tanks and motorized infantry penetrated some way into the Soviet defences and began to advance towards Stalingrad from the northwest in the face of fierce resistance. This was especially the case near an unnamed settlement where a terrific tank battle took place and the Germans were turned back. The Red Army newspaper Red Star says: “In other directions on this front our units are holding the enemy. The situation is complicated and fierce battles are raging everywhere. In the Kotelnikovo area, from where the Germans are attempting to drive to the north-east and to attack Stalingrad from the flank, the Russians have somewhat improved their position. The Red Army on Tuesday repulsed all enemy attacks in this direction and then began counter-attacking at a number of points.” '