Evening star., 1942-12-05
Russia
Continued From First Page.

road near the city of Kotelnikovski.
The Soviet noon communique
said the Red Army continued to
deal Furnishing blows to German
ranks during the nights fighting
both on the Stalingrad front and
in the areas west of Moscow 1t
said 3,l40 more Axis troops had
been killed and reported many dead
in other sectors.
20 Blockhouses Taken.
On the east bank of the Don,
northwest of Stalingrad, one unit
"dislodged the Hitlerites from 20
blockhouses and dugouts in fierce
fighting The enemy left about
400 dead on the battlefield" said
the communique.
Southwest Of Stalingrad, it added,
about 1900 enemy officers and men
were killed, and 60 blockhouses and
40 dugouts demolished as Red forces
occupied fortified positions.
I'm one sector, enemy infantry
attacked the flank of Soviet de-
lachment," the communique claim
ed. by gunfire and anti-tank fire,
Soviet troops destroyed five German
tanks. The Hitlerites, left without
cover of their tanks, came under
Soviet fire and left many dead on
the battlefield"
In fighting at Rzhev. Soviet COL
umns have all but encircled the
city and have been holding to points
on rail line to Vyazma, southeast
OF the city.
Nazi Resistance Stubborn.
There was fierce fighting for a
highway point held by the Russians
who claimed 1,O40 German dead
on that battlefield.
The latest communique again
noted that the German resistance
was Stubborn
The earlier communique listed
$500 enemy killed during yester-
days fighting.
The bulletin stressed the capture
Of II towns in the Stalingrad area
including Sekretev, a railway point,
and Parshin.
'Reuters' Moscow correspond
ent said this action carried the
Russian drive in the Don bend
past Surovikhino, 80 miles west OF
Stallngrad on main railroad.
Sekretev is miles west of Suro-
vikhino and Parshin II miles
farther west, he said.
The Russians claimed their
forces had reached Surovikhino
about November Is, apparently as
part Of the great pincers arm
thrown through Serafimovich,
early in the campaign)
AS the troops pressed on in the
Don River bend, other Red Army
columns pushed down the east bank
OF the Don in an attempt to cut in
behind the Axis arm that main
tanned the siege of Stalingrad
Noting that Stalingrad's defenders
within the city had advanced 200
to 300 yards and occupied several
enemy fortified positions in the
northern area Of Stalingrad," the
bulletin added that the troops COM
ing from the Don Rivers eastern
shore had captured another fortified
height in their advance.
The enemy lost 800 officers and
men in dead alone" the commu-
nique reported, on that engagement
Southwest of Stalingrad," it
added, part of our forces launched
an offensive and occupied strongly
fortified point. In fighting for this
point about 1000 German officers
and men were wiped out. Six tanks,
10 machine guns and two trucks were
destroyed, and 80 enemy dugouts
were demolished.
This action was presumably in
the direction of Kotelnikovski, near
which the Russians reported two
days ago they were consolidating
their positions.
Heavy Fighting at Velikie Luki.
Heavy fighting was reported for
strongly fortified German posts be-
fore velikie Luki, 80 miles from the
Latvian border. and near Rzhev, be-
tween velikie Luki and Moscow.
I'm the area of velikie Luki our
units conducted operations for the
liquidation Of encircled enemy
strongholds. Men Of * unit ad-
vanced and routed q German bat
talon which defended a height con-
trolling an important road" the
communiquc reported. Hundreds
of enemy dead remained on the field
of battle"
The Russians said they left 800
German dead in one fierce struggle
west of Rzhev which resulted in the