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ENEMY IS AGAIN
FOILED
Stalingrad Defies
Besiegers'
OFFENSIVE LAUNCHED
Australian Associated Press
LONDON, September 18.
The Germans have failed to effect a major break
into Stalingrad from the north-west. The correspon
dent of the Soviet official news agency on the Stalin
grad front claims that the Russians are launching
fierce counter attacks against the besiegers.
The Russians are also strongly attacking the
Germans' left flank from the north. According to
Axis reports Marshal von Bock is personally direct
ing the frontal attack against Stalingrad from head
quarters on the outskirts of the city..
Vichy Radio states that Russian reinforcements
are streaming down from the north under the pro
tection of a terrific artillery barrage. They are.
'ibeing thrown against the German buttress between
the Don and the Volga.
The Russian High Command has or
dered every Russian unit defending
Stalingrad to go over to the offensive.
The order stated: — "Every hillock re
gained gains time; every day gained
may determine the ultimate issue in
the battle for Stalingrad."
After the order had been issued
Russian tanks and Infantry assumed
the offensive in two neighboring sec
tors, while Germans were attacking at
another point. One Russian tank unit
destroyed 48 German anti-tank guns,
four tanks, ten trench mortars and
nearly 1000 Germans in three succes
sive attacks, which opened a path for
the Russian infantry against one Ger
man position. Russian tank and can
non fire badly mauled German re
serves which were rushing up in ''60
lorries. The Russian tanks are meet
ing with strong fire from heavily re-
inforced German anti-tank guns;
The Red Army has renewed the of
fensive at Voronezh. Russians in -the
east and south captured several Ger
man positions, and are still advancing;
The Russians in the north were held
up for a time, but they were- again
progressing.
The Russians have captured impor
tant heights on the west bank of the
Don, and also the. northern suburbs
of an nnna mod town . Th,v-'Germnr;-r,
who lost 3000 in killed or ' taken
prisoner, . are unsuccessfully' counter
attacking.'
isew oioerian xeiniureemenis nave
1 reached Stalingrad, including large
numbers of Ural workers, who are
famous for their fighting qualities,
particularly in winter campaigns
Other Siberian reinforcements 'are . en
route to the Caucasus, Leningrad and
Rjev.
A German; drive, south-east of
; Novorossisk has been halted. The
; Germans were forced to retreat in
one sector after abandoning "three
mountain passes.
Berlin Radio announced that Major-
j General Albert-Buck, commander, of
an -Infantry division, was 'killed in
heavy fighting in the Novorossisk . area
> .on September 6.
The Moscow newspaper "Red
Star" states the Germans have
reached the Volga north of Stalin
grad. .
To-day's Moscow communique- states
the Russians last night repelled tank
and infantry, attacks in the north
western outskirts of Stalingrad, and
also- fought the enemy lti the Mosdok
area. There were no material changes
elsewhere.
A Russian- artillery unit north-west
of Stalingrad destroyed twelve enemy
tanks and wiped out two companies
of infantry.- Two enemy infantry bat
talions in another sector of this front
broke through into one street, but
they were routed in a hand-to-hand
engagement, leaving 500 killed or
wounded.
Russians in the Mosdok (Caucasus)
area; in -a swift attack destroyed four
tanks' and a company of infantry.
Russian marines south-west of the
Black Sea port of Novorissik de-
sMuycu uiii ee LctiiKo Hna wipea out
about a company of Germans.' Rus
sians on the Karelian (Finnish) front
made a surprise attack, and forced
the Finns to retreat. The Finns
counter-attacked, but were repelled,
losing about two companies.
Reuter's correspondent in Moscow
states that the Stalingrad position re
mains most critical; Von Bock is
heavily bombarding the defenders in
side tlm ci ty ._ day and . night with
great' ri timber of long-range' and'
medium-range guns. German shock
troops and tommy gunners have been
larnm I en/1 - hi or » nnau ' wAni/ix# , !,<«<
utn mujitjr iCWAiUdi iUll
leave and loot if Stalingrad is taken.
According to the German News
Agency German troops, after bitter
street fighting, had. captured several
districts in Stalingrad city.
Paris Radio quoted a German re
port that the Germans had passed
through- the centre of Stalingrad and
reached the Volga. Fighting in the
city had become ,a huge muddle, with
the forces jammed into the ruins of
houses, and factories.
Berlin communique; claims .that
further., successes . were achieved at
Stalingrad after .'bitter' fighting," in
which there: was the closest German
army and air co-operation, Ninety-
two Russian tanks had been destroyed
at Stalingrad since .the. Luftwaffe
started night attacking the air fields
to the rear of the enemy . On Wed
nesday and Thursday 146 Russian
planes were destroyed. Six German
planes are missing. - -
TIME TABLE BEING UPSET
Hitler's time table, for the Caucasus
is in danger ' of being upset by the
vigorous.- defence of .the Grozny oil
fields and mountain passes. The Rus
sians cohtiriue to achieve success
in their counter attacks near Mos
dok. where more- ground has been
gained and booty taken. Heavy losses.
I. were Inflicted on large German
; forces. ' 1 ; .
Almost the entire Russian front
continues active, but the news is
scanty. The Germans admit that the
Russians by sheer weight have gained
ground north of Rjev, and that fight
ing is fiercer in the Slnyavlno marsh
lands. The "Red Star"'says the Ger
mans, after losing 5000 men in large-
i scale counter attacks in this 'area.
\ are now frequently attacking on , a
small scale, but with no better suc
cess, The Russians continue to sys
tematically gain ground. "
. The German effort to achieve a
major break through on Thursday to
the north-west of Stalingrad failed.
The Germans drove a wedge into the
defences and occupied buildings, in
the suburbs. The Russians powerfully,
counter attacked, drove back the Ger-
mans at the point of the bayonet, and
restored the position. All subsequent
German attacks were repulsed. The
threat to Stalingrad from the north
west, however, is still, considerable,
because the Germans are entrenched
on the very edge of the city. Stalin
grad was not cut off, and Russian re
inforcements are still arriving.
Savage fighting occurred in the
streets as a result of the "German and
Roumanian break through" on Wed-
nesday. Despite the heroic Russian
efforts, the enemy's penetration is
hourly deepening and the invaders
are steadily closing in on the city
-proper. Von Bock's vastly stronger
orces, both in the air and on the
ground,- kept up an unending series
of hammer blows, under which the
weary defenders were obliged to fall
back, but the invaders are paying a
steadily higher price for each small
advance.
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