NEW POSITIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25021, 15 September 1942, Page 5

NEW POSITIONS

RUSSIAN WITHDRAWAL WEST OF STALINGRAD RUGBY, Sept. 13. No new place names are mentioned in to-day’s Soviet communique. A furiher withdrawal by the Russians in one sector west of Stalingrad is announced in a supplementary communique. Particularly fierce fighting occurred here, during which seven German tanks were destroyed. Three limes the Germans penetrated the Russian positions, and each lime they were driven back by counter-attacks. After new German reserves were brought up, however. a fresh attack was launched, compelling the Russians to withdraw to new positions. South-west of Stalingrad enemy tanks and infantry penetrated the Russian defence line at one place, but by a strong counter-attack the enemy was forced to retreat to his original position. The Germans followed up the capture of a settlement south-west of Stalingrad by three successive attacks, all of which the Russians repelled, having strongly fortified every height, hill, and ravine, says a Moscow message. The battle, which lasted several days, ended in favour of the Russians, who wiped out over 4000 German troops.

The enemy is continuing his method of attack by concentrating huge masses of tanks, infantry and aircraft on narrow sectors of the front in attempts to force wedges in the Soviet defences. The steppe west of Stalingrad is bounded by hills and gullies, and the Red Army is contesting every inch of ground in face of increasing enemy pressure, and is launching frequent counter-attacks. German Attacks Repelled The Germans west and south-west of Stalingrad have launched, between 30 and 40 attacks in the past "24 hours, but have failed to make any break-through on a large scale. The Germans followed up the capture of a settlement south-west of Stalingrad with three attacks, all of which were repelled with heavy losses. A German communique claims that the Axis forces stormed several positions on the edge of Stalingrad and penetrated the southern part of the city.

Moscow announces that, in spite of heavy enemy counter-attacks, as well as rain, the Russians continue to advance in the Sinyavino sector south of Shlusselburg. The Germans are bringing up reinforcements by land and air. The importance the Germans attach to the Sinyavino fighting can be gauged from their massive counterattacks, which have already cost them 5000 men.

The Moscow radio reported that the enemy had begun to withdraw from the mountains near Mosdok after heavy losses were inflicted as the result of ambushes. The Germans on the central front suffered a severe setback in the fighting for an important township. The Russians attacked the township on Friday. The Germans counter-attacked on Saturday with 90 tanks and infantry. They lost 49 tanks in addition to a large number of troops. The Russians also gained a tactically important village and a bridgehead, ensuring progress in the neighbouring sector. The British United Press correspondent in Moscow says 15.000 more enemy troops were killed on the Russian front in the past few days, two-thirds of whom died before Stalingrad. Russian Counter-attacks

The newspaper Red Star reports that as the result of counter-attacks the Soviet troops broke into an enemy stronghold. The Germans are hastily constructing defences around every strip of captured territory. These defences sexwe as points for the concentration of efiemy forces in preparation for further attacks, and as a protection against Soviet counter-thrusts. In the air, large-scale dog-fights and raids on troop concentrations are taking place. On one sector of the Stalingrad front there have been 55 air battles in the past three days, resulting in 46 enemy aircraft being destroyed, in addition to 15 Axis planes burned on aerodromes and othei's damaged. Tank battles in this area have also been on a large scale, with hundreds of machines participating on either side.

In the Mosdok region the Russians repelled enemy counter-attacks, says a supplementary communique, destroying a number’of enemy tanks,, killing 150 troops, and taking booty. A Moscow message adds that Soviet troops/ with artillery assistance, are making every effort to wipe out the enemy forces on the south bank of the Terek River. Yesterday the Germans made a desperate attempt to crush the Soviet batteries, hurling against them every available tank. The Soviet artillerymen, however, succeeded in destroying 26 tanks and forced the remainder to turn back towards the river. The Red Army advanced on two sectors on this front, where fierce fighting is raging for mountain passes and villages. On one sector the Germans are withdrawing north, mining the path of their retreat. On one sector of the central front fighting for an important locality took place. Eighteen enemy tanks were destroyed, and over 1000 enemy troops killed. Messages from Moscow make it clear that, in spite of heavy German counter-attacks and' rain which is now falling, the Russian advance on this front has not halted. The Germans are reported to be bringing up reinforcements by land and air.