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NAZI DRIVE ON
STALINGRAD
Tanks Break Through
Russian Lines
LONDON, Wednesday.-Masses of enemy tanks have
broken through the Russian positions in depth less than 40
miles north-west of Stalingrad, and are advancing towards the
c city. These enemy forces crossed the Don under cover of a
big air umbrella, deployed on the east bank and pushed forward
with great speed.
The Russians are fighting fiercely to stem the enemy's
onrush, and a big tank battle is raging on the plain between
the Don and the Volga.
Moscow reports that the Soviét troops threw back fierce
enemy attacks and inflicted heavy casualties.
The midnight Moscow communique
s.iid tho Soviet troops were heroically
rebelling largo and continuous enemy
attacks to thc north-west of Stalin-
grad, and inflicting heavy losses. One
unit alone counter-attacked seven
times and destroyed 112 German tanks
and three guus, and killed at least GOO
Germans.
Ninety-two enemy aircraft were des-
troyed lit the approaches to Stalingrad
during thc past two days.
Stubborn fighting «ontinned to tho
south nf Krasnodar, including haud-to
hand encounters.
On one sector of this front Hie enemy,
shock troops attempted lo break
through, but Ihe Jlussinn.s boldly coun-
ter-attacked, and were holding the
enemy.
Air Superiority
I The London "Times" Stockholm
correspondent says the Gormans mov-
ing eastward along tho fringe of the
Caucasus chain nro''getting nearer to
Grozny, lt is not clear whether Prolth
ladmiya has fallen, but this is to bc
expected.
The mountain defences of the West
Caucasian area, which are being sub-
jected to increasing pressure, continue
to bar tho German way to tho Black
Sen.
The London "Daily Telegraph's"
Stockholm correspondent says air sup-
remacy has been largely responsible for
tho German successes in the Caucasus.
German infantry and tanks have been
held up repeatedly bv "road blocks
avalanches and minefields, but the
Luftwaffe has always blasted a pass-
age for the ground troops. Thc situ-
ation iu tho Caucasus was never
blacker.
Battle For Stalingrad
Thc London "Dnilv Telegraph 's"
Stockholm correspondent says German
heavy bombers launched their first in-
tensive niBss attack upon Stalingrad nt
daw n, yesterday. Russian lighters and
nek nek put up a tnrrilic resistance, but
it is feared thc civilian population suf-
fered heavily. Thc raiders aimed priu
cjpally at the central railway station,
Volga shipping and armament facto-
ries
Thc battle for Stalingrad grows moro
intense and fiercer. German armored
infantry with formidable air support
has pushed one steel spear after an-
other from the Don toward the eily.
On tho afternoon and night of Monday
tifo Germans regrouped immediately
they crossed the Don clbuw, in thc cen-
trai sector, and then swept on against
the first Russian defence linc. The
Germans are also pressing their at-
tacks north-east of Kotelnikovo, where
unothcr tierce battle is in progress.
Tho "Daily Telegraph's" Moscow
correspondent says the Germans at
one poiut (apparently north-east of
Kolcluikovu) pushed back the Rus-
sians, who are incessantly counter
¡attacking with fierce courage. The
Kussinns retook an important hil! with
j bayonets and grenades. German at
I tacks elsewhere in this area were bea-
ton back with heavy losses in tanks
and men. One small Russian unit hold-
ing a narrow front withstood six ar-
mored blows in 24 hours, destroyed at
least TÔ tanks and killed -IOU Ger-
mans.
Fierce Courage
Tlie "Daily Express" Stockholm
correspondent says General von Bock,
seeking to counter the heavy resist-
ance and hasten the smashing of the
Russian defences round .Stalingrad, lan-
ded large forces of paratroops behind
the Russian positions. Paratroops in
groups of upwards of IOU were drop-
ped round railway and road junctions
12 to" 20 miles behind tho lines. The
Russians engaged them strongly. Other
paratroops were landed in fields suit-
able for emergency aerodromes, and
Junkers 52's were continuously carrying
these paratroops motor cycles, tanks,
anti-tank guns and mortars, with which
to reinforce their tommy guns and
grenades.
Router's Moscow correspondent says
paratroops are part of the German
general offensive, but they have no-
where ¡anded in tho force that they
did in Crete.
Grim Fight- Ahead
Dispatches from all sources agree
that Stalingrad is an entrenched camp.
The inhabitants are not evacuating, but
are facing up to tho enemy, anaf are
undeterred by air raids. Stevedores
are working day and night servicing
thc great Volga ships, while the fac-
tories arc feverishly turning out trac-
tors, tanks and light weapons.
Tho defenders are hourly increasing
their anti-tank traps and strengthening
their strongpoints.
The "Daily Express" Moscow cor-
respondent says tho crack guards divis-
ions which won honor at Moscow un
der Marshal Zhukov last winter arc
now in tho Stalingrad trout lines.
It is agreed that Stalingrad -will
fight hack as grimly as Leningrad
and Moscow, although handicapped
hy lack of ground for manoeuvring
and possibly lack of communica-
tions.
General von Bock is reported to be
smashing against Stalingrad with 5S
divisions, including one full lank army
from Kharkov. He has about 600
planes attached to each army corps.
A'on Bock's weakness is his army's
exhaustion. He has been fighting
without a halt for three months, and
has traversed nearly 500 miles.
The Klctskaya hills und Kolclnikovo
steppes cost him 20,000 and -10,000 men
respectively, probably one thousand
tanks, and perhaps ¡is many planes.
Will exhaustion evidence itself as be-
fore Moscow last November, when ¿he
Ked Army brought the Germnus to a
haiti
The Time Factor
NEW Y0UK, Tuesday.-Mr. Wm.
Stoiienuin, of Hie Chicago "Daily
News'" foreign service, says in a des-
patch fiom lion don that one indisput-
able fact about the war in Russia is
that there is only a fortnight; more
of oflcnsivo weather left for the Ger-
mans, jin il unless they repeat last
year's mistake, and liglit right up lo
the end of tho campaign season in a
desperate effort to knock ont the Rus-
sian armies, they will have to begin
in two or three weeks to settle down
for the winter.
Mr. Stoucman says that another im-
portant fact is that (he "Russian Army
is still in being as an organised fight-
ing machine. Due to its success in
evading any large trap during the
summer, it is pretty sure to romain in
being when the winter conics.
Ho also says that while nothing very
definite lins boen learned about the
Churchill-Stalin decisions, it ,is prob-
ably safe (o say 'that the two cniei's
did not cook up any particular "cure
all" plan.
"lt is reasonable to believe that
plans for a second front are being
worked out scientifically and methodic-
ally, with a view to making it stick
once it is established, giving thc Ger-
mans a wallop rather than a series of
kicks in the shins," he says. "No-
body hero undcr-estimntes Russia's
ordeal or tho terrific problems which
will arise if Stalingrad is taken and
tho Volga supply linc cut."
"But there is a growing ten-
dency to believe that tho Russians
?will bc able to maintain a strong
front against the Germans during
the winter, consequently a grèat,
successful blow against Germany
from the west can be made as a
well-timed effort rather than an
under-Kcpnred shot in the dark."
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