Evening star., 1942-07-23
Fortified Areas
Are Penetrated,
Germans Claim
~ the Associated Press.

EN tEt SSSOtldFu fFth6
MOSCOW. July 23.-Soviet Rus
sia faced her gravest crisis in the
13-month old war with Germany
today as Nazi armored columns
closed in for the second battle Of
Rostov, speared anew toward
Stalingrad and pressed on the
Lower Don between those cities
in an effort to isolate the Cau-
casus.
On Berlin the German high
command said today that Ger
man and Slovak troops have PEN
etrated fortified bridgehead po-
sitions in front of Rostov and
have reached the outskirts of the
city in further attacks. The Nazi
command said Tuesday that Ros-
tov was in flames and under at
tack from west, north and eastD
Not since the Mongols were driven
from Southern Russia 562 years ago
had there been such a threat to
the military security of the nation,
observers said.
Red Army men fought bitterly to
stem the invasion tides, aware that
the Germans were more than half
way along on drives which might
split the Russians southern and
trans Caucasian commands.
Menaced From Three Sides.
paeto, ,,,oc Y,oor,cod frov,, three
sides-at Novocherkassk, 20 miles
northeast of the city; from the
north by a large force. including
Italians. striking from Voroshilov-
grad. and from the west by Axis
divisions which wintered at Tagan-
rog. 40 miles away.
Similarly three -directional threat
developed against Stalingrad, $50
miles by air northeast of Rostov. The
central and most advanced column
was astride the Stalingrad-Likhaya
railway line slightly more than 100
miles west of the Volga city.
BY the light of bright half moon,
Soviet heavy bombers and fighter
bombers pounded long columns Of
German reinforcements moving into
the Don River area last night.
Scores of troop-laden trucks were
smashed and others fed in con-
fusion, field reports said Another
column was said to have suffered
simultaneous bombings at heao and
tail
Fresh Crossing Attempted.
The Don offered no protection for
Rostov except from attack from the
south. for most of the city lies on the
lofty northern bank of the river l3
miles up from the Sea of Azov.
Along with the peril to Rostov
and the drive on Stalingrad, dam
eerous threat faced by the Russians
was a German effort to cross the
Don at Tsimlyansk, 130 miles north
east of Rostov.
A drive of 80 miles across the
river at that point would cut Stain
grads last railway link with Rostov
and the Caucasus. Sal, Zimovnikl
or Kotelnikovo might be German
detectives in this direction. All are
on the railroad a few miles south
of the Don.
On the Leningrad front, the Rus
slams announced the capture OF "ar
important populated place in sur
prise attack on the Germans, who
were said to have suffered more
than 1000 casualties. The Russians
said the 2lst German Independent,
Battalion was virtually wiped out lr
the fight, and it's second in command
captured.
Rostov Defenders Engaged.
Russian dispatches disclosed thai
q spearhead of Field Marshal Gen
Fedor Won Books 1000 000-mar
army had engaged the defenders O.
Rostov. from which the invaders
we're driven by the combined fire
power of Russian soldiers and guer
rillss after brief occupation las
November.
Russians Counterattack.
Amid these grave developments
however. Russian counterattack'
persisted against the Nazi left wing
et Voronezh and about 5000 Ger
mans were reported killed in th'
savage fighting through which "oul
troops pressed the enemy back anc
improved their positions.
Some 5000 invaders were listed a.
slain in successful drive to re-
rapt,lre large settlement south q
that city. Dispatches said th'
streets were 50 cluttered with deac
that Red Army assault troops were
literally forced to walk over them il
mopping-up operations.
A powerful German drive to re
cross the upper Don west OF Voron
o Continued on Page AS, Column s.