VIOLENT BATTLE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 December 1942, Page 4

VIOLENT BATTLE

FOUGHT SOUTHWEST OF STALINGRAD POWERFUL ENEMY EFFORT FOILED BY RUSSIANS!. IN CONFLICT EXTENDING OVER DAYS. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 12.50‘p.m.) LONDON, Elecember 16. The issue of the violent battle which has developed in the Kotelnikov© region (south-west of Stalingrad), where the German? are attempting to break through'for the relief of General von Hoth, is still doubtful. The latest reports indicate that it has failed to develop in favour o>f the Germans. On the contraryi tbe Russians are stated to control the situation, despite the German successes of last week-end. “The Times” Moscow correspondent, describing a three-day struggle, says that, after carefully choosing their place of attack arid skilfully using their forces in rapid, successive thrusts, the Germans ?eemed to be on the verge of a significant success, but the Russians, swiftly recovering, concentrated a sufficiently dense anti-tank gun screen to blunt the enemy thrusts. The Germans launched their original attack with two regipients and eighty tanks, which were soon badly mauled. Meanwhile, strong German reserves’ were concentrated on the Russian?’ left, forcing the • defenders to withdraw to lines where they halted ten furious attacks and annihilated’ German tommy-gunners filtering'in during the night.' The Germans on Monday, using' a numerically superior tank detachment, again struck in another direction and reached a river line, where their, artillery covered a big concentration of infantry forces. The Russians,’ handicapped by incomplete consolidation, rushed up a Guards’ mortar unit, which immediately engaged the infantry and drove back some tanks. A thick mist rolled over the steppes, hindering the Russian gunners arid allowing the Germans to thrust in tanks and launch a general attack. A fierce and sustained battle resulted, in which the Germans established a wedge. Nevertheless, the Rpsians, holding adjacent sectors and ‘strongly attackfrig the German flanks, slowly drove the enemy ’into a trap, despite the most pertinacious resistance. On Tuesday night considerable German fprces were gripped as in a vice. The Germans desperately flung in reserves, but the Russians in several places are now in a position to hammer from both sides of narrow salients into which , the Germans are pinched. • The Russians elsewhere sopth-west of Stalingrad have advanced, which is an indication that German pressure has not forced therii on the defensive everywhere. While the' Germans are hampiering away near Kotelriikovoj the Russians north-west and west of Stalingrad launched a large-scale attack designed to squeeze von Hoth’s forces back against Stalingrad. Red tank divisions have crossed the Don from the west and are attacking along a 20-mile front. The heaviest fighting is reported around Kachalinsk. The Russians south-west of Nalchik, in the Caucasus, have captured an important vantage point, after penetrating a mile deep into German defences.

IMPORTANT GAINS

MADE BY SOVIET FORCES. ENEMY STRONGHOLDS TAKEN. LONDON, December 16. After fighting off counter-attacks, the Russians have scored two important successes on the Stalingrad front. On the Don bend, Soviet forces smashed their way through into a German stronghold on a railway line. North-west of Stalingrad,' where the Germans have strong forces, all enemy counterattacks' have bee brokeii. In the northern pity ares the Russians continue to destroy German strongAnother important strategic village west of Rzhev has been captured and held by the Russians,'despite German counter-attacks. In the Caucasus the Russians have captured three villages in the Mozdok area. ~ ~ f,