MASSED TANKS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 August 1942, Page 4

MASSED TANKS

DRiViNCi ON TOWARDS STALINGRAD GAP FOUND IM RUSSIAN LINES. RED ARMY COUNTER-ATTACKING IN PLACES. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, Noon.) LONDON, August 26. Massed German tanks are driving cn towards Stalingrad. Very strong forces, which crossed the Don under ?. big air umbrella, have succeeded in deploying and arg advancing at surprising speed. The “Red Star” admits that the Germans, after fierce ground fighting, found a nap in the Russian lines and penetrated into the depth of the Russian defences, cutting the junction between two Russian units. Remer’s Moscow correspondent says f’ ? Russians are holding the German d. vo from the south-west. The Red Ai .y in some places has counter-at-taeked and forced back a number of German units. It is estimated in Moscow that a total of 753,000 men, including 25 armoured divisions, is driving on Stalingrad from the north-west, west and south-west. A German communique claims a further advance westward of Stalingrad and says the Luftwaffe is attacking Stalingrad night and day. A Berlin message claims that the central railway station is aflame and that many buildings in the centre of the city have been destroyed by bombs. The Vichy radio reports that the Germans have captured Businovsk, 35 miles south-westward of Stalingrad. The “Red Star” reports that, despite huge losses, the Germans in the region of Prokhladnaya continue to advance. Fierce battles are raging. The Russian Sea of Azov fleet and marines are challenging the Germans along a large part of the eastern shores of the Sea of Azov.

The “Pravda” reports that guerillas continue to gain successes in the Ukraine. One detachment dislodged the Germans from' 32 villages and killed 69 officers, including two generals and about 9330 of other ranks. Another detachment killed 890 Germans. A third detachment killed 213 police and 1,300 troops. Guerillas now control whole areas. - ENEMY HALTED AT LEAST FOR TIME BEING. POSITION GRAVE BUT NOT HOPELESS. LONDON, August 26. Moscow dispatches describe the situation regarding Stalingrad as compljcated and grave, but by no means hopeless. The enemy forces have been halted, at any rate for the time being.