RUSSIANS WARNED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 July 1942, Page 4

RUSSIANS WARNED

4 | “FATHERLAND IN GRAVE DANGER” BATTLE ON THE LOWER DON. AXIS DIVISIONS ARRIVING FROM FRANCE. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 11.55 a.m.) LONDON, July 28. There is no disposition in Moscow to underestimate the gravity cf Marshal Timoshenko’s position. All the Moscow morning papers printed a warning to the nation: “The enemy is surging ever closer to four of our most vital lifecentres. The Fatherland is in grave danger.” A. German communique states: “A bridgehead over the Don,' near Rostov, has been considerably widened in a southern direction. German infantry and motorised units crossed the Don on a broad front, eastward of Rostov and reached the Manichsalsk sector. German and Allied troops have crossed the whole Lower Don.” ’ A Moscow message reports that the Germans on the Voronezh front are still attempting to hold the Russian advance, which has assumed dangerous proportions. All German attempts to dislodge the Russians from the west bank of the Don have failed. The Germans have now fortified villages and mined territory in the northern and southern Voronezh sectors in an effort to slow down the Russians. The Germans yesterday counter-attacked in the south, in an attempt to push the Russians across the Voronezh River, which is a small tributary of the Don. The Russians repulsed the enemy and continued to advance. The Moscow radio announced that the Russian Arctic Fleet Air Arm sank three large transports and set fire to warehouses at a northern enemy port. The radio also announced that more German divisions from France and Holland were arriving on the Russian southern front.

SERIOUS THREAT TO NORTHERN CAUCASUS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.10 a.m.) RUGBY, July 28. Though few details are given in Russian reports, it is- clear that the battle along the 250 miles of the lower reach of the Don continues to be critical for the whole plan of defence of the Northern Caucasus and Lower Volga. The bitterest fighting continues on both sides of the river at various places where the Germans have crossed, or where the Russians are withdrawing across it. Besides the crossing they have effected at Zymlyanskaya (midway between Rostov and Stalingrad) the Germans are stated to have crossed at Nelikhovskaya, south-east of Shaksti and perhaps also at two other places. " The morning Soviet report mentions only that at the estuary of the river the Russians repulsed many attacks. The Russians improved their positions at several places at Voronezh, where there is bitter fighting on the western bank of the Don and a German attack was repulsed. In fighting: of local importance on the Kalinin front, the Germans, who penetrated the Russian positions, were compelled to retreat. A supplement to a Soviet communique states that at one point at Voronezh the Russians have broken through the German defences.