Evening star., 1942-09-18
Offensive Is Launched by Reds
Near Sto|ingrod After Germans
Are Thrown Back Within Citv
Nozis Attempting
To Fortify Selves
In Northwest Area
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
MOSCOW, Sept. 18.-Taking ;
stand with the precipitous bank
OF the Volga at their very backs
the defenders of Stalingrad hav'
counterattacked and wiped ou
two enemy wedges within tn,
city in a supreme, last-ditch eff
fort to save the great manufac.
turing center from the Germans
the Russians said today.
The Germans precipitated thi
bitter and thus far successful Rus
sian counteraction by rushing int,
the city proper from the north
western outskirts. and pushing al
most to the cliffs overhanging tn,
west bank of the Volga.
tSoviet tanks and infantrymen
went over to the offensive in two
neighboring sectors of the Stall
1ngrad front today following or
ders from the Russian high
command. Reuters said in a dis
patch to London from Moscow.
ut said orders to take the
offensive against German Mar
shall Fedor Won Book had been
transmitted to every Soviet unit
defending Stalingrad.
(These orders, itStated, said
every hillock ress4neS gained
time and that every day gained
may determine the ultimate issue
Of the battle.
Immediately after>}he orders
were received, Reutkrs said, Red
Army troops and tanks took the
offensive IN two-ectors while the
Germans maintained their in
itiative and attacked at another
point.
(Skipping all reference to a
previously advertised special
announcement from Hitler's
headquarters" which failed to
materialize as scheduled last
night, the German high COM
mand today reported merely
further successes" in the Sta
lingrad battle.)
2 Storming Efforts Repulsed.
With no choice between counter
attack and surrender, the Russians
took their stand.
A terrible battle famed along the
tree-lined avenues leading to the
riverfront. The first German units
which had speared through the
city, pointed by tanks, were forced
back. The struggle continued in
mounting violence with the enemy
trying to fortify himself in the
northwestern fringe of Stalingrad.
Two successive German efforts to
take Stalingrad by storm we're re-
ported repulsed IN the last "a hours.
The first penetration into the citys
streets, announced in last nights
Russian communique. has been re-
pulsed. The midday bulletin said
two battalions of enemy infantry
again rushed into one of the streets
but were forced to retreat after
severe hand-to-hand fighting.
Reds Attack at Vor0neZh.
Meanwhile the Red Army was
credited with new offensive in the
Voronezh area, about 300 miles
northwest of Stalingrad.
Red Star, the Russian Army news
paper, said an artillery. mortar and
aerial bombardment to soften the
German positions and plough paths
through the enemy minefelds,
harbed wire systems and f1repoints
was followed by an infantry advance
IN several sectors.
Russian troops moved forward
swiftly from the south and east, the
dispatch said, and occupied several
positions around German -besieged
Voronezh.
On the north side of Voronezh
German defenses were said to have
slowed down the offensive, but the
Russians nevertheless were credited
with breaking their way through the
obstacles. On the west bank of the
Don-that is, on the opposite side o1
the river from Voronezh-a series ol
important hills was reported occu.
pied.
fOrtlneu Line occupied.
On the central front, where the
Russians have been on the often.
sive for some time, they were sale
to be pressing the foe still farther
away from Moscow. This evidentl,
is a reference to the Rzhev front
northwest of the Russian capital
Red Star said another fortified lint
had been occupied, 10 German dug.
outs captured and 900 enemy officers
and soldiers killed.
The Elite SIS Greater Germany
Division, which recently appeared or
this front after being taken to tn,
rear for reorganization, was re.
ported to have suffered a serious de.
feat, having lost $500 men ane
more than 60 of the divisions origi.
nal ITO tanks.
Stallngrad. however. remained the
most vital sector of Russia S whole
great battle line.
Field dispatches said the Nazi all
force, striking in formations of &c
to 100 planes, continued to lay waste
to sections of the Volga River city
but 10 were brought down by ground
gunners and outnumbered Sovie,
fighters.
Nazi Dead Litter Streets.
The bodies of hundreds of Ger.
man dead and the hulks of Naz
tanks and trucks were reported te
have Uttered the streets after the
Russians won the upper hand ir
the fighting in the northwestern
section of Stalingrad yesterday.
Firing points and anti-tank OBJ.
stacles were hastily erected by tn,
Germans for protection agains
oounterattacks and to serve as /;
springboard for another effort t.
drive to the heart of Stalingrad, Rec
Star said.
Dispatches contained frequent ref
e-ences to individual Red Army mer
who slew 10 to IL Germans and t.
single machine-gun crews which &C.
counted for as many as 40. A de.
tachment fighting from behinc
ruined brick walls was credited witt
the destruction of seven Nazi tank.
and the slaughter Of 200 troops.