FURIOUS EFFORTS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 July 1942, Page 4

FURIOUS EFFORTS

MADE BY THE GERMANS IN DON BASIN & OTHER AREAS. DETERMINED RUSSIAN RESISTANCE. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 11.45 a.m.) LONDON. July 17. The Germans are redoubling their efforts to take Voronezh by a pincers movement, involving a new crossing of the Don. The “Red Star’’ says that they are pinned down in the north, on the western bank, where they are erecting fortifications, but in the south they yesterday established a bridgehead to the eastern bank, where stubborn fighting is going on. The Russians retreating to the southeast from Millerovo are being subjected to furious and unceasing attacks. The Germans, who are attempting to drive to the east in the direction of Stalingrad, and- south toward Rostov, are flinging in huge reserves of tanks and infantry. The Germans in addition, are driving frontally and trying successive turning movements. The Russian rearguards are fighting on stubbornly and very fierce battles are raging. The “Pravda” says the Don battle is assuming wider proportions and the danger is great and the situation serious. The Red Army must and shall halt the enemy and break down his onslaught. A special German communique claims that Voroshilovgrad has been captured. An earlier German High Command communique stated: “The pursuit of the Russians in the direction of the Lower Don continues. The railway from Stalingrad to the Donetz area has been crossed. ” The Vichy radio declared that German motorised units are advancing along the coast of the Sea of Azov and have occupied Sinjavsk, a small town fifteen miles from Rostov.

A Moscow message reports that the Germans on the Rzhev front have advanced several miles in the last few days, their losses being heavy. There is at present a lull on this front, but a renewal of the attack is expected at any moment. The “Red Star” reports that the Russians launched a series of successful counter-attacks on the Bryansk front and recaptured several localities, where they found 2,000 German dead. Russian Stormoviks blasted two German concentrations behind the Bryansk front, wiping out about 5,000 troops.