PRESSING ON TO STALINGRAD

Southland Times, Issue 24877, 17 October 1942, Page 5

PRESSING ON TO STALINGRAD

Russian Relief Troops (Rec. 8 p.m.) LONDON, October 15. Moscow dispatches repeat that Marshal Timoshenko’s relief troops, driving from the north, can already see Stalingrad, “and not with strong field-glasses either.” The Russians’ drive from Kachalinskaya is heaviest on the right wing near the Don. Moscow message reports that considerable enemy tank and infantry forces were hurled into a narrow sector north-west of Stalingrad on Wednesday. They were repelled after heavy fighting. The enemy in these unsuccessful attempts to capture the Stalingrad factories—which are reported to be still functioning in the repair of tanks—lost 23 tanks and up to 2000 men. Russian reinforcements reaching Stalingrad across the Volga include at least one Soviet Guards Division. The Germans, according to Red Star, are maintaining fierce attacks in northern Stalingrad while bringing up new forces by land and air. The Russians withstood all the attacks. German High Command communiques described the fighting around three big factories in Stalingrad and

Berlin radio later claimed that German troops had taken the Dwerzhinsky tractor factory by storm and reached the Volga on a two-mile front. Vichy radio a week ago claimed the factory had been completely razed. The Germans claim further advances in the western Caucasus, but Berlin admits that the Axis daily gains can be seen only on special large scale maps. A more serious situation has developed in the Mosdok area where the Germans are increasing their pressure. Several divisions simultaneously managed to pentrate the Russian positions with tommy-guns in addition to tanks. A series of big battles is raging. The Russians on the southern fringe of this area are continuing aggressive operations and yesterday improved their positions for the second successive day. LARGE FORCES IN ACTION In operations in both the East and West Caucasus very large forces of tanks, infantry and planes are involved, and new fighting areas are being opened up as each side brings in more effectives, says the Moscow correspondent of The Times. The Russians in the Mozdok area are mainly on the defensive. The German offensive, which has been fitfully progressing for many weeks, has been resumed, but the length of the supply lines is preventing sustained action. A violent battle has been raging for a week for an inhabited locality on the road from the Kuban Plain to the Black Sea at Tuapse. The Germans are carrying out a large-scale offensive in these forested mountains and are clearly making an effort to break through to the coast to liquidate a position which for many weeks has hampered their j plans. The Germans are also increas- ' ing pressure south-east of Novorossisk.