GERMAN ACCOUNT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 October 1942, Page 3

GERMAN ACCOUNT

OF FEROCIOUS STRUGGLE IN CAUCASUS “THE CURSED TEREK RIVER” TERRIBLE SOVIET FLANK ATTACKS. SITUATION INCREASINGLY TENSE

(By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) LONDON, October 11. The Berlin radio today broadcast a front-line reporter’s story of the fighting in the Mozdok area, the latest events in which occurred last week. “The battle had been raging for weeks near the cursed - Terek River, which has swallowed so much of our comrades’ blood, he said. “The Soviet is using every device of fortification. “A German infantry division forced the Terek River early in September

and formed a bridgehead with a radius of two miles. The Russians attacked the bridgehead trenches and minefields with heavy artillery, and prevented us from advancing. We formed a second bridgehead, but all attempts to unite the bridegheads failed “Finally, we formed a third bridgehead. A village lay before us, and it became a hell. The Russian gunners poured a hail of shells into the village, but we had to get through at any cost, and we succeeded in reaching bloodsoaked Hill 404. Our general suddenly appeared and ordered us back. The Russians had attacked our flank. “We raced back, abandoning two localities. It was one of those terrible Soviet flank attacks. Numberless tanks and infantry forced us back yard by yard. The battle lasted for 14 hours, and the countryside for miles was on fire. “More than 50 of the Soviet tanks were left on the battlefield, but we lost many a comrade, and many German tanks which had advanced hundreds of miles met their fate here. We formed a defensive front the next day and regained two hills.” The reporter said that the Germans subsequently seized a railway bridge across the Terek. “Surrounded by dust and smoke, tortured by thirst, without food or drink all day,, we fought with only one thought—to cross the cursed Terek,X he said. The German pressure in the Mozdok region has certainly not relaxed, it is learned in London, and both here and in the Black Sea coastal belt the Russians are being called on every day for new efforts in vigilance, courage, and tenacity. Their aggressive operations in the western Caucasus remain an inspiration. The situation is growing increasingly tense in the eastern Caucasus, where the Germans are throwing in further reinforcements. The Russian resistance remains firm, and some ground has been regained in the main sectors. The Germans in the Mozdok area have attacked 19 times within 48 hours, but all the attacks were repulsed and 700 Germans killed. Soviet Guards have been counter-attacking in another area, where the Germans have lost 3500 men in the past few days. A German communique states that alpine troops in the north-western Caucasus dislodged the Russians from further hill positions, and a Russian force which was encircled has been impressed in a very narrow area and its destruction is imminent. The Luftwaffe continued to make strong night-attacks on Grozny, causing heavy destruction. The Berlin radio declared that the Germans seized an important ridge, after which they took in the rear a strong Soviet force which was stationed south of the road to Tuapse. The Soviet force was encircled. It resisted strongly, but more than half were annihilated. Moscow officially announces: “Sev-enty-five German bombers, escorted by fighters, attempted to raid Soviet miiltary objectives in the Mozdok area, and 26 enemy planes were destroyed. Russian troops surrounded an enemy garrison in one locality in the rear of Novorossisk.’

SOLDIERS ON SKIS INTENSIVE ORGANISATION IN RUSSIA. PREPARATIONS FOR WINTER. LONDON, October 11. Military skiing is being organised to begin throughout the Soviet 1 Union as soon as snow falls. Ski teams are being formed in factories, offices, schools, and military camps, and the teams will make route 1 marches and long cross-country runs and receive instruction in military aspects of skiing. The Moscow “Pravda’ says that the Soviet Government has ordered a 10 to 15 per cent reduction in the consumption of coal, oil, and other fuels compared with the consumption at the end of last year. “The fight for fuel amounts to a fight for. the very existence of the Soviet Union,’ it says.