Evening star., 1942-12-06

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blockhouses and killed $3.50 of
the enemy yesterday, the Rus
slams announced today.
A fiery contest for possession of
another elaborate stronghold was in
full swing northwest of Stalin-
grad, with the Germans front-line
trenches preached in places.
But relatively little progress was
reported in this sector and to the
southwest of the city where the
Russians were using the frozen Don
as a roadway to tighten their grip
on the big army stalled between
that river and the Volga.
To the southwest. too, the Rus
slams were meeting new, determined
opposition in their efforts to close
the northern and southern jaws
about Stalingrad, now believed to
be about 25 miles apart.
Heavy Engagements.
The communique said heavy en-
gagements had taken place with
newly arrived motorized infantry
and tank regiments, and that 300
Germans were killed, 81 guns de-
stroyed.
More progress was reported north
west Of Moscow as the Russians
attacked strongholds and block
houses.
Three German strongholds were
occupied near Velikie Luki where
the Russians have penetrated to
within 80 miles of the Latvian bor-
der. An armored train, S. tanks and
40 guns were captured and $50
Germans killed, the communique
said.
A number of populated places
were captured and a large enemy
center Of resistance" was smashed
near Rzhev, 1875 miles northwest of
Moscow, the communique added.
This center was described as
well-organized area dotted by scores
OF blockhouses and dugouts,
trenches, traps and densely mined
approaches. The garrison of 400
was routed, the communique said.
On the Leningrad front, too. there
was furious activity. with 600 Ger
mans reported killed and 10 block
houses destroyed.
Entanglements Penetrated.
To the south. in the Caucasus. the
Russians said they penetrated
thick system Of barbed wire en-
tanglements and minefields and dis
lodged the Germans from 10 block
houses northeast Of Tuapse. Here
400 of the enemy were slaughtered.
Artillery duels and infantry at
tacks were still going on in the city
Of Stalingrad, despite the peril to
the Germans rear, and there 900
more Germans were counted as
dead.
The fiercest fighting of all, how
ever, was northwest of Stalingrad
where 1000 Germans were reported
killed and 400 captured in the in
conclusive fighting for the tightly
held stronghold.
The Germans were bringing up
tanks and more artillery to check
the Russian onslaught.
Two Soviet forces which launched
the winter offensive November 19
from the northwest and from the
south OF Stalingrad, respectively,
were reported to be tanning out in
three directions in an effort to en-
circle and destroy some 10000 AXIS
troops unit by unit.
Whether the two Russian armies
had yet forced a junction and had
snapped their giant trap on the
Germans before Stalingrad could
not be said for sure. Military ex-
perts, however, expressed the opin-
ion that the escape gap left open to
the Germans might be only 25
miles wide, extending between
Verkhne Chirsky and Popov.
Verkhne Chirsky is just south of the
western railroad line out of Stalin-
grad, and Is miles north of Popov.
Important Highway Cut.
Dispatches from the front yester-
day said one Red Army column had
severed an important highway over
which the Germans had been truck
ing supplies for their forces before
Stalingrad. The Nazis were said to
have been mopped up completely in
the northern corner of the Don ell
bow, where the river curves back
northeastward toward Voronezh.
The Germans were reported trying
to form new defense lines along the
upper reaches of the contracting
corridor left them.
Red Star disclosed that the gi-
gantic encirclement maneuver had
not been accomplished without seri-
GUS risk. After breaking into Ger
man defenses in the Don elbow
northwest of Stalingrad, it said, the
Russians fought for time with the
enemy on both its f1anks and to the
rear before the Nazis finally re-
treated eastward to join the main
group before Stalingrad, leaving
only a rear guard to delay the Rus
slams.