DEVELOPING THREAT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 January 1943, Page 3

DEVELOPING THREAT

TO GERMANS IN CENTRAL CAUCASUS. BATTLE FOR RAILWAYS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.40 a.m.) RUGBY, January 13. A Soviet supplementary communique, dealing with the fighting in Stalingrad, says fierce fighting took place in houses, yards and streets. The enemy launched six counter-attacks, but each was repelled, and an infantry battalion was wiped out. “The enemy concentrated large tank and infantry forces in one sector on the Lower Don front,” adds the supplement. "Fierce attacks were made and the enemy succeeded in advancing, but the Russians regrouped and drove them back, inflicting heavy losses. In another sector of the Lower Don front the Russians occupied more localities, killing 800 of the enemy and capturing booty.” Further progress is also reported from the Central Caucasus. Though last nights Soviet communique announced no important advances, the capture of several places in the Central Caucasus indicates that substantial mopping up had been achieved, and that the Russian

hold on the Pyatigorsk-Mineralnie Vodi branch line has been strengthened. Though Maikop with its oilfields, the capture of which was cne of the few practical gains the Germans made in their summer campaign, is not itself directly threatened, if the Russians advance much further along th e Geor-gievsk-Rcstov railway towards Armavir, a serious threat to Maikop would Idevelcp. The only north and’ south double track line in the Caucasus is that between Rostov, Georgievsk and intermediary railway towns like Tikhoretsk and Armavir, which are considered the real keys of the Caucasus campaign. If the Russians succeed in bringing a serious threat to these towns, then the position of all the German forces in the Central Caucasus would become extremely grave.