IN THE DON BEND

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 August 1942, Page 4

IN THE DON BEND

1T _ NOT MUCH PROGRESS MADE

BY GERMANS

BELIEF IN LONDON

FEW RUSSIANS CAPTURED.

NAZI PATROLS MAY HAVE

REACHED RIVER

(British Ofiicial Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.47 a.m.) RUGBY, August 16. While the Germans have undoubtedly made some progress in the Don bend, there is no confirmation in London that there has been any great turn for the worse, and it is not believed that the Germans have rounded up many Russians in the river are?.. As to the German claim to have reached the river itself, it is thought that some patrols may have penetrated thus far, but shoulder to shoulder fighting is not implied. In the Caucasus it now appears improbable that the Germans are trying to cross the mountains between Cherkesk and Sukhum, a Black Sea. port about 120 miles io the south. Here a track leads to a very difficult pass and there is a gradient of one in six for about ten miles, leading to 9,500 feet mountains. There seems little doubt, however, that the enemy are attempting to cross the hills to the port of Tuapse. Meanwhile a thrusting towards Novorossisk, further north, does not seem equally strong. If the Germans can reach Tuapse they will be to some extent in rear of Novorossisk, from which the only available exit is by sea. Novorossisk is well protected by hills, which it is imagined are fortified. Regarding the Germans’ claim to have reached Elista, about 180 miles west of Astrakhan, and at nearly the same distance due south of Stalingrad, it is not now thought that they are trying to drive due east to the big Caspian nort, but rather that their advance'is turning to the south, or southwest, and their forces here may be looked upon as a flank guard to the main forces in the Caucasus. The “Red Star” meanwhile declares that the entire Rumanian Army, a million strong, has been hurled against Russia, and it is estimated that about half of this force are already casualties. The First, Tenth and Eighteenth infantry divisions, the Soviet Army paper says, and the First and Fourth Alpine brigades have been completely routed. The fighting capacity of the Rumanians is low. Many resort to mutilation and desertion. The Germans have not attempted to arm the Rumanians with modern weapons, but they frequently break up Rumanian units, incorporate them in German divisions and send them to the most dangerous places.

ASSAULT THAT FAILED

GAP STOPPED BY RUSSIAN ARTILLERY.

DESTRUCTION OF GERMAN TANKS & TRANSPORT.

(Received This Day, 11.40 a.m.) LONDON, August 16. The Germans used ?. hundred tanks in four successive attacks south-east of Kletskaya yesterday, but again failed to break through

to the banks of the Don. A Russian rifle division in the morning lost several important positions, but a Russian artillery regiment rushed into battle straight from a

long march and saved the situation. Point-blank fire broke up three separate tank attacks and by evening the Germans were back to their

original positions. The Germans are punching hard on narrow sectors of.Aie front north-east of Kotelnikovo. Very fierce fighting is raging along the railway. The Vichy radio declared that the Germans south-west of Stalingrad are now less than 40 miles from the city. A German communique states: “The Germans and their allies in the Caucasus broke the resistance of strong Russian rearguards and are continuing to advance.”

A Moscow message reports that Russian bombers and dive-bombers have destroyed or damaged over 660 German tanks in the past fortnight. They have also destroyed 3,450 and ammunition lorries, and 600 wagons, blown up 45 amunition and 14 petrol dumps and silenced 170 field and anti-aircraft batteries.