APPALLING LOSSES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 September 1942, Page 4

APPALLING LOSSES

SUFFERED BY GERMANS IN ATTEMPTS TO TAKE STALINGRAD i AN UNCONFIRMED REPORT. HITLER RECALLS VON BOCK FOR CONSULTATION. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyrigh (Received This Day, 12.5 p.m.) LONDON, September 14. The battle for Stalingrad goes on with ever-mounting fury, There are many signs that the Germans are worried about the appalling slaughter this battle is costing them, but there is no change in the policy of hurling in more masses of men and machines. Mo information has reached London confirming the “New York Times” message that the Axis losses are such that Hitler has recalled Marshal von Bock for consultation and that General Keitel, at least temporarily, has taken over the command before Stalingrad. The whole German press, however, is emphasising the stubborn spirit of Stalingrad’s defenders and the strength of its fortifications. This apparently is designed to prepare the Germans for a revelation of

the extent of the slaughter. The latest Russian reports say that von Bock raised the stakes at Stalingrad by 2,000 men and 124 tanks at the weekend. The Axis has now lost 12,000 dead on this front during the past few days, making the total more than 27,000 in the battle for Stalingrad. The Luftwaffe’s losses in the past four weeks are over 1,600 planes, mostly before Stalingrad. The Russian killed or wounded total 4.000. The Ital- ' ians lost in prisoners, 1,500 men when they /recently attacked in the Kletskaya area. The Italians’ heavy defeat embarrassed the German High Command and has eased the positions for the Russians for the past nine days. Reports from Moscow of the fighting in the Voronezh area describe the Ger-man-Hungarian thrust as the most ambitious yet launched to regain key positions. ■ Fighting began with _an attempt by 100 tanks and a division of infantry to throw back the Russians from the west bank of the Don. All the attacks failed and the Hungarians alone lost, about 1,000 men in yesterday’s fighting. . A bitter day and night struggle is being waged in the Western Caucasus for the passes across the mountains to the Black Sea. The Germans captured one pass, but Russian automatic rifiemen outflanked the enemy, stormed the pass from different directions and dislodged and hurled back the Gelmans.

ENEMY CLAIMS

PENETRATION OF DEFENCES ALLEGED.

(Received This Day. 12.5 p.m.) LONDON, September 14. A German communique claims that assault troops in the fortified area of Stalingrad penetrated into fortifications of the outer edge of the city and stormed commanding heights north-west of the central town area. The Berlin radio declared that German and Rumanian troops have penetrated the outskirts of Stalingrad itself. The Vichy radio asserted that von Bock’s troops are approaching the centre of Stalingrad.