FIERCE RESISTANCE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 August 1942, Page 3

FIERCE RESISTANCE

GERMANS TRYING TO HOLD RZHEV IMPORTANT RAILROAD CENTRE. NO SLACKENING IN BATTLE FOR STALINGRAD. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day. 9.55 a.m.) RUGBY, August 27. Defensive lighting against enemy tanks and motorised infantry at Mozdok, 70 miles westward of Grosny and 150 miles from the coast of the ( aspian Sea, is mentioned in a supplementary Soviet communique. Several more localities have been occupied on the central front, where ■ the Russians are making further advances. The latest despatches speak of street fighting in the outskirts of Rzhev, where the Germans are reported to be resisting fiercely, desperately trying to cling to this important railroad centre. Last winter the Red Army half encircled Rzhev, but the Germans, determined to hold the town at any. cost, reinforced the six divisions operating in that area by three in July and another five in August. They have also continued to strengthen the fortifications of adjacent towns. Rzhev is nearly 700 miles from Stalingrad and, even if the Germans wished to transfer to the central front some of their strength from the Stalingrad and Caucasian fronts, it is doubtful if their communications are sufficiently good to make such an operation quickly feasible. Thus the Russian ■offensive in the centre is not regarded in informed circles in London as likely to have any immediate effect upon the situation around Stalingrad, which remains extremely serious. A Moscow message states that a terrific tank battle has been raging for a second day and night north-west of Stalingrad, with hundreds of tanks and scores of pianos massed on either side. The Germans, who have sustained enormous losses, with many regiments bled white, arc reported to bo. stemmed but, as always, new reserves are being brought up and flung into the battle. Large-scale dogfights in the air arc a frequent feature of the present battles and the ‘'lzvestia” says the Germans have brought in their best Luftwaffe units. Soviet bombers and anti-tank Stormoviks have raided successfully enemy aerodromes and wrecked scores of planes which were ready to take off. In the Prokhladnaya area, in the Caucasus, fierce fighting is going on for river crossings. Russian mortars and artillery batteries wrecked two bridgeheads and routed an enemy motorised column.