“RIVER TANKS”

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 September 1942, Page 3

“RIVER TANKS”

OPERATED BY RUSSIANS ON VOLGA ELEMENT IN FORMIDABLE DEFENCES. ENEMY REPELLED AT MANY POINTS. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, September 26. The Russian morning communique refers briefly to fighting last night in the areas of Stalingrad, Mosdok and Sinyavino and records no important changes in these areas or on other sectors. “In Stalingrad itself street fighting continues,” states a supplement, “while north-west of the city, where the Russians have for some days been striking at the German left flank, several enemy counter-attacks have been repelled with heavy loss and capture of booty.” New armoured forces have joined the battle, according to a Moscow Press message. High-speed motorboats are coursing along the Volga, engaging German tanks and artillery at short range. These river tanks are also employed to protect crossings against the Luftwaffe and against trench mortars trying to cripple Soviet transport of supplies and reinforcements and the evacuation of wounded. The Volga is bristling with guns pointing to the skies and to the land, with heavy guns on monitors reinforcing the Russian long-range artillery. In the Mosdok area an enemy attack was repelled, while south-east of Novorossisk a Soviet marine unit wiped out a Rumanian infantry battalion. Moscow radio records success on the front north of Voronezh, where on one sector the Russians have pushed forward and penetrated the forest. A.t many points on the Voronezh front, including the western bank of the Don south of the city, the Germans are constantly unsuccessfully counter-attacking. The Russian night communique records no fresh developments of im- • portance. Fierce fighting continued in the Stalingrad, Mosdok and Sinyavino areas, with heavy Russian attacks in the Stalingrad region.