The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-09-04
BY HENRY SHAPIRO limited Press Staff CnrresunnhenI

BY HENRY SHAPIRO
 United Press Staff Correspondent
 Moscow, Sept. 4.-(UP)--The bat. tie of Stalingrad approached @ crisis today aS the Soviet defenders were eXhorted to transform the vital Vol ga River City into "a red Verdun" in the face of crushing assault by Na3i troops, tanks and divehombers.
 Front reports said that the Ger mans already had smashed gaping holes in the Stalingrad defense lines northwest and southwest of the city.
 However, stuhbornly fighting Red Army troops, backed up by civilian volunteers from the Stalingrad populace, threw themselves into the breaches and attempted to slow the German advance.
 Advancing on the city from the northwest approaches was Q force estimated at 25 German divisions, possibly 375,000 men, aided by an estimated 1000 dive bombers.
 The Germans were reported to be bringing up heavy mobile artillery to blast their way through the in- ner lines of Stalingrad"s defenses and fresh armored and motorized divisions were spotted in action all along the half-moon front protect ing the city.
 Must Make It Verdun
 An editorial in the Red Army or gan, Red Star, declared that the defenders of the city must turn 1t into @ red Verdun."
 "They must be motivated by one thought" Red Star said. There is no place for further retreat. We must not hand over to the German occupants the gateway to our oil, our bread and other riches"
 Semi-offlcial dispatches, report ing the weight of the war machine the Germans had thrown into the battle in an effort to take Stalin- grad and cut the Volga river line, left no doubt of the city's peril.
 They said half of the 25 divisions assaulting on the northwest were armored. They were being rein- forced constantly, yet. no German advance on that approach was men, toned in the Soviet noon communi- que.
 The Red Army organ Red Star said 1t was battle unparalleled in fury" and the Russians were des- perately resisting coordinated, mas- sive thrusts of panzers and bomberS and slowing their advance on the northwest.
 The noon communique reported the German advance on the south west, the seventh German gain, and the seventh Russian retreat on that sector in four days.
 (An Exchange Telegraph agency dispatch from Moscow said Stalin- grad was ringed by her enemies and perhaps about to fall)
 Southwest of Stalingrad, Soviet troops engaged in tense battles with enemy tanks and infantry" the So- viet noon communique said. "On one sector. the enemy concentrated huge forces and succeeded in ad- yancing somewhat"
 Yesterday, it appeared that the Russians had momentarily checked the Germans on the southwest, but suffered a setback on the northwest. The noon communique mentioned no new German advance on the northwest.
 Soviet troops conducted active fghting operations" it said. "One Soviet unit destroyed two German tanks, three armored cars and eight trucks loaded with ammuni- 'tion. Up to 200 of the enemy re- mained dead on the battlefield.
 "On another sector, Soviet infan- try supported by tanks penetrated enemy positions. In fierce engage ments, Soviet troops destroyed a00 Germans, four tanks. nine anti.tank guns and captured eight machine guns and i've trench mortars."
 The government newspaper Ixves- tia eaid "numberless" attacks on the northwest had failed. except On one sector, where q powerful tank thrust had pushed the Russians back. On another sector, Soviet units retEeated to avoid q threat so their Hanks, consolidated a new line cosinter-attacked and restored their original positions.
 The situation was considerably more grave on the southwest ap- preach the army newspaper Red drlyen m wedge with huge tank and motorized infantry forces deep into Russian positions, assaulting in all l