Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-10-24
Peril 10 Ukraine
Is Alarming
Russians Admit
Soviets Place German
Losses So Far at
World War Total
BY the Associated Press.

bN the hSSOoldieu fTbSS.
Soviet front-line dispatches today
acknowledged that the situation was
alarming in all sectors on the
Ukraine front. with heavy fighting
raging on the approaches to Rostov-
on-Don, while claims from both sides
listed staggering total of more
than 100000 killed and wounded
in the four-month-old campaign.
Although the Red Armies clearly
appeared to be holding firmly before
Moscow. the grave new danger to
Russia's vital war foundries on the
southern front was emphasized in
reports to the army newspaper, Red
Star.
The newspaper reported bloody
hand-to-hand fighting i'm
menSe losses" in battles around Sta
limo, 100 miles northwest of Rostov.
and at nearby Makeevka, with the
Germans hurting great masses Of
tanks and troops into drive to en-
gulf the entire DonetS River Indus
trial Basin.
The situation on all the prin-
cipal sectors of the southern front
remains critical" Red Stars cor
respondent telegraphed. Pravda
sounded the same note.
Liberation Held Imminent.
In Berlin, the authorized common
tary, DienSt aus Deutschland, even
went so far as to say that the lib
Grafton of the Donets Basin IS i'm
minent." If true, this would strike
hard blow at Russia's war supplies,
since the Donets Basin is the source
of great iron, coal and manganese
deposits, and Rostov, near the mouth
of the Don River, is the key to the
Caucasus Oil fields.
A military spokesman described
the entire front as being in a state
Of "ripening"
Along the 1900 kilometer CAS-
mile front from Lake linen to the
Sea Of Azov," he said. German
forces are in motion. either attack
ing or pursuing The front is fluid
except at Leningrad which is in a
state Of complete siege"
The spokesman said unfavorable
weather was hampering but had not
checked the German progress He
added that at this stage outright
winter conditions would help the
German forces by hardening the
surface soil for motorized equip
ment
British Entry Seen.
German conquest of the Donets
Basin would in all likelihood precip-
itate the long awaited hour of
British troops entering the conflict
at Russia side.
British Gen. Sir Archibald P.
Wavell, commander in chief for In
ola. has nearly 100000 men in the
Middle East awaiting the signal to
march north through Iran PERSIA
into the Caucasus to bolster the bat
tered Red Armies in the Ukraine.
Perhaps in move to seal the
Middle East's back door" for just
such an operation, British and Free
French troops were reported striking
into French Somaliland today, driv-
ing 80 miles into the little French
colony on the Gulf of Alden.
One reason for the attack; which
was not confirmed in London, might
we'll be to protect United States war
supplies which sail through the
Alden Gulf and the Red Sea to the
Suez Canal for delivery to the Brit
iSh Middle East armies.
World War Total Claimed.
On the Soviet war front the Rus
slams declared officially that several
hundred thousand Germans already
had been killed in the 23-day old
drive on Moscow and that Nazi
losses in four months equaled the
total casualties suffered by Kaiser
(See RUSSIAN, Page A-3)