RUSSIANS HOLD ON

Southland Times, Issue 24868, 7 October 1942, Page 5

RUSSIANS HOLD ON

FIGHTING AT STALINGRAD . LITTLE GERMAN PROGRESS (Rec. 1.10 a.m.) LONDON, Oct. 6. The situation at Stalingrad shows little change, according to the latest Russian communique. The Germans are striving to extend their gains in the northwest by pushing through the dock area towards the city, but they have made little progress. North-west and south-west of Stalingrad the Russian relief forces are making progress, in spite of German counter-thrusts. In the Caucasus the German drive on the Grozny oil-fields is held. The Russians have gained ground at Rjev and Voronej on the central front. During the week-end distinguished Soviet speakers, including the communist propaganda chief, M. Alexandrov, the historian, Professor Tarle, and M. Yaroslavsky, who is a leading publicist, expressed confidence that Stalingrad would stand. These men, says the Moscow correspondent of The Times, choose their words carefully. Significance is also attached to the arrival of a political commissar with quantities of comforts for the troops at Stalingrad. However, there are no grounds, says the correspondent, for complacency. The Press does not mince matters in its daily reminders of the gravity of the Soviet’s position. The workers are being spurred to even greater efforts. MOZDOK DRIVE HALTED The German drive in the Mozdok area is momentarily halted. The Germans are energetically trying the other route to the Grozny oil, particularly the southern railway loop from Prokhalhanya, from where, it is claimed, they have advanced 50 miles since reaching Prokhladnaya in August. The Germans are still more than 70. miles from the oil-wells, with the difficult foothills still ahead. Heavy inconclusive fighting is reported in the Leningrad, Lake Ilmen and Voronej areas. The Russian airman, Major Zemyanov, declared that a unit of 20 Hurricanes, commanded by Major Panov, in two months had destroyed 83 planes for the loss of four Russian pilots and 10 Hurricanes. The Hurricanes’ fuel economy, and high fire-power, speed and manoeuvrability make them splendid escorts for front-line bombers. The Hurricanes have proved their worth, in dozens of combats over the Russian front. . SECOND_FRONT M. STALIN’S REQUEST NEW YORK, Qctober 4. The New York Times, commenting on M. Stalin’s letter to the Associated Press of America correspondent in Moscow, points out that M. Stalin speaks rarely and that, therefore, it must be assumed that in breaking his habit of silence he spoke with due deliberation. He must have been impelled either by a desperate military crisis in Russia or by a belief that the British and American people more urgently desire a second front than do their military and political leaders. The New York Times says: “The Soviet leader in effect is demanding payment on a promissory note. He does not say so in so many words that the Allies are obliged to. open a second front ‘oh time’ but states pretty plainly that they have undertaken obligations which they have not fulfilled. The message, primarily addressed to Americans, is evidently intended to convey this impression and to appeal to the people over the heads of their Governments.” WAR MATERIAL SENT Referring to Allied obligations, the newspaper points out that war material and other supplies have been transported to Russia at great risk and at heavy loss to the Allies and that they have been delivered in larger quan- , tities than were promised. “The whole plain aim of American strategy is to take the offensive at the earliest possible moment,” it says. “M. Stalin cannot whip up the Allies more than they are whipped up by their own desire and determination.” The British and American Ambassadors in Moscow have informally discussed M. Stalin’s letter about the second front. The Associated Press of America correspondent in Moscow says that they are expected to seek an explanation of some of its phrases. Diplomatic circles believe that the letter reveals differences of views in the Allied capitals. Moscow radio read M. Stalin’s letter three times in the Russian news bul- ■ letins. It was also broadcast in all foreign language broadcasts from Moscow to Kuibyshev. Even the Moscow night war communique was delayed while the letter was read again.

BRITAIN’S EFFORTS An assurance that everything possible was being pressed and urged by Britain in order to giye the most speedy relief to the hard-pressed Russian Army was given by the Minister of Information, Mr Brendan Bracken, in a speech at Kilmarnock, says a London message.

Lord Halifax, British Ambassador to the United States, said concerning M. Stalin’s letter: “I think Mr Churchill, President Roosevelt and M. Stalin understand one another well. I regard the letter’ as a remarkable demonstration of Russia’s strength.” Mr Sumner Welles, Under-Secretary of State in the United States, reiterated the intention of his Government to give all possible aid to Russia and to give it as quickly as possible. He said: “We are doing all that we humanly can.”

RUSSIAN RELIEF DRIVES FORCED DISPERSAL OF NAZI EFFORT (Rec. 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, October 5. No significant changes have occurred on the Stalingrad front in the past 24 hours. Slight Russian gains in the relief drive from the north-west, also m the drive south-west of . the city, have been offset by even slighter German gains in the industrial area just inside the city’s north-western edge. The north-west and south-west relief drives have already exercised an important effect by broadening the front, thus forcing the dispersal of the titanic German effort. Neither relief drive is likely to make spectacular progress. Fighting everywhere has settled down into relentless positional warfare, where neither side is able to gain ground, except at heavy cost. Vichy radio, quoting Berlin, said the German advance had slowed down because the German High Command wishes to avoid “useless losses.” It. is interesting to recall the broad aims publicized by the Russians and Germans a year ago. The Germans then claimed

that they aimfed at the speedy annihilation of the Russian armies by a super blitzkrieg, while the Russians' grimly announced that they proposed to. bleed the Germans to death. Events in the past two months suggest that Moscow rather than Berlin is able to claim that “operations are proceeding according to plan.” 35 NAZI DIVISIONS ENGAGED German reinforcements recently thrown against Stalingrad are known to include two infantry and one tank division, making a total assaulting the city of 35 divisions. The Russians are meeting the Luftwaffe offensive against Stalingrad. In the past three days they have destroyed 92 German planes, including 44 shot down by anti-aircraft fire. The Russians advanced seven miles in the Rjev area and captured an important height after an all-day battle in which they routed picked German troops under General von Hoffman. The Russians captured a large amount' of booty. The German High Command announced that General Baron Erlencamp, commanding the panzer corps, also the' Hungarian, General Nagy, commanding the Hungarian Division, were killed together in the Don front fighting on Saturday. The Soviet morning report says that the Germans at heavy cost have pushed forward slightly in the workers’ settlement in Stalingrad. Elsewhere the Russians have repulsed all attacks. Further German attacks in this area have been repulsed, although the Germans used three infantry divisions (45,000 men) and. 100 tanks. In other sectors, the Russians have improved their positions.

STALINGRAD MEETING Communists’ Determination MOSCOW, October 5. Stalingrad’s provincial committee of the Communist Party snatched time off from the battle for a meeting at which it reaffirmed its determination to hold on at all costs. Farmers and workers from other parts of the province advised that they would keep the city supplied. Officials maintain that the defence of Stalingrad has thwarted Hitler’s plan to throw his troops against the Russians all along the front from Moscow to Baku.