Evening star., 1942-12-26
Russians Attack
Retreating Nazis
|nMid-DonDrive.
Big StoIingrod Plant
Captured; German
Losses Mount
BY EDDY GILMORE,
Associated Press War Correspondent.


MOSCOW, Dec. 26-Russian
columns pressed their many
headed drive in the middle Don
area relentlessly today at the
heels of retreating Nazi legions
and struck a smashing blow
within Stalingrad itself, where
one of the largest factories was
occupied after 500 Germans had
been killed, the Soviet midday
communique said.
Two preceding communiques, one
a special war bulletin and the other
a regular statement of the Soviet
war position, told of advances near
KotelnikovSki, southwest of Stalin-
grad, and in the Caucasus near Nall
chik, and detailed a lengthy sum-
nation of German war equipment
which had been destroyed or had
fallen into Russian hands.
Red Army troops in the middle
Don area have captured 49 settle
ments and railway stations, as we'll
as dozens Of populated points, and
the offensive was pushed into the
Ukraine at two different locations,
it was reported.
The first drive was southwest OF
Kantemirovka, the railway station
on the RoStOVM Moscow line which
was recaptured December 19 The
latest dispatches put the advance
guards in that area at the Ukrai-
nian villake of Markovka.
Move on Railway.
The second was southwest of Mil
lerovo where the Russians appeared
to be moving on the Millerovo-
Voroshilovgrad Railway. The first
drive could be headed toward Khar-
koV and the second possibly might
advance toward DonbaS. the coal
rich lower Donets River valley.
The midday war bulletin told of
the occupation of another village in
the Observation-Disclosures section
during last nights fighting with
about battalion of 800 Axis troops
wiped out in the engagement.
In another sector, a Soviet de-
tachment penetrated behind re-
treating German columns and took
$50 prisoners, it added. They cap
tured ID guns. 35 machine guns and
carts with military supplies"
The Russian drive in this area had
flanked Millerovo and penetrated
into the eastern border area of the
Ukraine, on the 25th anniversary of
the Establishment of the Ukraine as
a State in the U. S. S. R.
Colleen. N. F. Vatutins troops
were moving in ever-Smaller semi
circles about Millerovo.
One column had advanced to
Grekove, just 10 miles west of the
railway center and less than 10 miles
from the MillerovO-Vor
railway. Ten miles north of Mil
lerovo, the Red Army recaptured
Malchevskaya.
Fight Hand to Hand
There has been hand -to-hand
fighting in Stalingrad for dugouts
and machine-gun emplacements. In
last nights clashes the communique
reported that 10 blockhouseS and ST
dugouts were destroyed by Russian
troops and that men in one unit
encircled German groups. killed
about 500 of the enemy, and oc-
cupied one of the largest factories,
capturing a store of guns, grenades
and cartridges.
More enemy resistance was noted
southwest of Stalingrad where for
two weeks the Russians have been
attempting to storm into Kotel-
nikovski Here in one sector. 500
Germans were killed and 30 tanks
were disabled, and in another a
village was taken after a battalion
of infantry and 10 tanks was routed,
the communique said.
A night-long battle for one village
of the several occupied by the Rus
slams southeast of Malchik. in the
(See RUSSIAN, Page A-2D