AT LOW EBB

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 November 1942, Page 3

AT LOW EBB

FIGHTING IN STALINGRAD HEAVY GERMAN LOSSES FOR MINOR GAINS. ENEMY FORCES HELD UP IN CAUCASUS. LONDON, November 16. The latest German attacks mi Stalingrad have now died down to skirmishes between small groups. 1 In recent reports there has been little mention of enemy tank action. The lack of tank support accounts for heavy losses suffered by the German infantry, which has made only negligible gains. North-east of the Black Sea port of Tuapse, the Axis forces have been at a standstill for about two weeks. They are now engaged in attempting to improvise a winter line in difficult mountain country. South-east of Nalchik, in the Central Caucasus, the enemy has employed as many as forty tanks as the spearhead of infantry attacks, but the Russians have yielded no ground. SOVIET WINTER ATTACK ANTICIPATED BY GERMANS. SIGNS OF PREPARATION. LONDON. November 15. Stalingrad is now snow-covered. The Germans are improving their defensive positions on the right bank of the Volga in anticipation of a large-sc’ale winter push by ' the Russians,. and they admit that the Russians will be better able to reinforce Stalingrad after the river freezes over. Reuter’s Stockholm correspondent says that the German reconnaissance planes over the' weekend reported that the Red Army was massing forces on the eastern bank of the Volga, and also north-west of Moscow between Rzhev and Lake Ilmen. The German home front references to the renewal of the fighting in Stalingrad are most guarded, presumably because casualties there continue to worry the German public. The fighting in the northern factory area of Stalingrad has been more intense during the past four days than for some time. The Germans made a temporary breach in one narrow sector after concentrating planes and tanks. The repulse of further enemy attacks in the factory district at Stalingrad is announced by the Soviet headquarters tonight. At least 400 Germans were killed. South, of the city the Russians ejected the enemy from a fortified area, killing 130. To the north-west artillery duels continued. A further advance south-east of Nalchik is announced, and also the repulse of smal enemy attacks northeast of Tuapse. The Moscow radio says that the Russians south-east of Nalchik killed 2000 Rumanians and Germans last week near two towns which they liberated from the enemy. The Germans coun-ter-attacked with fresh troops northeast of Tuapse, but were beaten back. The “News Chronicle” correspondent in Moscow says the German air force is busy making preparations for winter flying. They have been using Soviet prisoners to build concrete runways on all the important airfields. Another report is that the Nazis are said to have built special apparatus for clearing snow away quickly.