WINTER NEAR

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 October 1942, Page 4

WINTER NEAR

GOOD CHANCE OF SAVING STALINGRAD ACCORDING TO REUTER CORRESPONDENT . GAINS BY TIMOSHENKO’S RELIEF ARMY. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 11.20 a.m.) LONDON, October 13. A three-day luil at Stalingrad was broken last night, when German infantry and tank divisions returned to the attack. The Russians were not surprised, but were forced to give a little ground in one city area, where they knocked out twenty tanks. The Germans have only ten days or a fortnight in which to take Stalingrad before the weather makes full-scale operations impossible, says Reuter’s correspondent at Stockholm. Snow has fallen already on the northern and central fronts, and in the Mozdok area, where the snow line is creeping quickly from the peaks to the valleys. There is a growing feeling, says the correspondent, that the chances of saving Stalingrad were never better. A large number of infantry attacked Stalingrad this morning, says Reuter’s Moscow correspondent. These attacks were directed against a factory in the north-western suburbs, where the Russians are holding on with characteristic determination. Marshal Timoshenko's relief army is battling north-west of Stalingrad. It has advanced further southwards and is now fighting, not only in the steppes between the Volga and the Don, but also in the hills farther south, where it has captured useful positions. It is attempting to drive the Germans from the hills dominating roads and other lines of communication.

TRENCH WARFARE

NORTH-WEST OF CITY.

GERMAN TANK LOSSES.

(Received This Day, 11.40 a.m.) LONDON. October 13. An Associated Press Moscow correspondent describes the fighting north-west of Stalingrad as trench warfare, with encircling movements by smaller mobile units. The Russians' latest advance in this sector was made after intensive artillery preparation. The Russians then drove a wedge through a gap between two hills, i hey turned out the German holding troops from defensive positions and consolidated on the heights,* , A struggle which began a fortnight ago is still raging for the main mountain pass from Kuban to Tuapse, says ’Reuter's Moscow correspondents tmr-teen-hour tank battle ensued after the Germans had made a night attack, under a smoke-screen. The Russians turned back this thrust, but the Gelmans are still attacking. The Vichy radio claims that the Russians have lost 5,000 to 10,000 men on the road to Tuapse and that a itirther 4,000 have been taken prisoner.. Heavy fighting is reported in tne Sinyavino area (south-east of Leningrad), where the Russians beat bad; an infantry regiment and thirty tanks, killed 600 'of the enemy and destroyed thirteen tanks. The Russians in another sector also repelled German infantry, supported by tanks and destroyed 400 troops and nine tanks. Reports from Stalingrad mention an intensification of German terror raids. Lengths of railway tracks are riddled with small holes. Bombs are being dropped from 5,000 feet, producing prolonged and ear-splitting howls The Luftwaffe is also using screech whistles and screaming bombs. The “Izvestia” says Italian tanks have recently been in action at Stalingrad. The Russians found that their armour was easily pierced. # The “Pravda” reports that the great tractor works at Stalingrad aye still in production. Most of the equipment of the works has been transferred east of the Volga, but sufficient has been retained to produce some tanks and to effect major tank repairs. “The Times” Moscow correspondent, says it is revealed tnat the defences of the North Russian coast, including Murmansk, Archangel and the.Rybachi Peninsula, and also the northern submarine fleet, are under the command of the 36-vear-old Cossack Vice-Ad-miral Golovko.

WEST OF MOSCOW

AMERICAN VISITS BATTLE

UNCEASING BOMBARDMENT.

(Received This Day, 10.550 a.m.) CHICAGO, October 13

In a' “Chicago Daily News” foreign service copyright message, Mr Leland Stowe, writing from the Rzhev front savs: “At last I have seen and lived with the Red Army in several sectors, and have the feel of these Russian soldiers and officers who have amazed the world. In the last nine days, Russian troops and Russia’s battle have become a vivid reality. We rode along and bounced high and interminably to get to the Rzhev front. Those who rode and bounced with me were Ilya Ehrenburg the Soviet’s most famous war , correspondent. Major Arapov, of the “Red Star.” and Captain Emma. Twice Russian peasants gave us shelter, and, with magnificent hospitality, even their humble beds for the night. For seven days, in the front sectors, we never saw a single male dressed in civilian clothes. Here such villages as have not been completely burned are inhabited only by women and children. The thunder of howitzers and mortars and the thud of bombs seldom, cease for more than an hour or two, either by day or night. Here, within the rumble of artillery, there is also the peculiar calm of ’men know how to command and how to fight. We see great orange fires burning night after night in the city of Rzhev and machine-guns cackle and punctuate, in the crisp midnight air, cannon fire and the explosion of mortar bombs. Rockets trace a flickering pattern ior miles along the front.” Mr Stowe then describes a rougn journey over shell holes through a great wilderness and stretches where hundreds of tanks and trucks are smashed on the churned earth. . captain Emma,” he adds, “is chatting all the while . She does not seem to pay any attention tn bombs. Transport soldiers working near the road take no notice either. Like Captain Emma they have been living in this atmosphere ror a long time. QUICKLY REGAINED POSITION IN STALINGRAD. TAKEN ON PREVIOUS DAY BY GERMANS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 1.20 p.m.) RUGBY. October 133. Russian troops in Stalingrad regained the position lost the previous day, says tonight’s- Moscow communique. On other, sectors of the city front there were artillery and mortar duels. In the Mosdok region an attack by

two enemy infantry battalions, supported by tanks and planes, was repulsed. South-east of Novorossisk Soviet marines repelled an attack, improved their positions, and destroyed two Rumanian companies. On one sector of the north-western front an enemy attack was beaten off with fairly heavy losses.