Evening star., 1942-10-17
major Sea Fight Believed Near
In So|omons; Russians Retreat
For Fourth Time at Sto|inqrod
Industrial Sector
In VoIgo City Is
Taken by Nozis
BY HENRY C. CASSIDY,

BY HENRY C. CASSIDY,
Associated Press War Correspondent.
MOSCOW, Oct. 17.-Stalingrad
experienced her darkest hours of
siege today with acknowledge
ment of the fourth retreat in
60 hours before a German field
force hammering through sub
urban factory areas toward the
Volga.
The Germans occupied an indus
trial settlement which had been a
battlefield for weeks above the city's
heart and attempted to expand both
north and south and break the
hanks of the Soviet defense.
Berlin broadcasts say the Ger
mans already have won the west
bank of the Volga on a 2-mile
front, and the German high
command reported today that
Nazi forces overran numerous
Soviet positions in Stalingrad
yesterday in an advance which
cut off Red Army troops north
west of the city and left the Rus
slams facing annihilation.
(The Germans asserted their
troops had occupied half of the
Russian gun factory Red Barri-
cade, described as one of the
last two nests of Soviet resist
ance in StalingradD
Nazi Force at Its Peak,
The Nazis appeared now to be
using force at least equal to the
power in their previous offensive
when four infantry divisions and a
tank division were hurled at Stalin-
grad in the 54th day of the city's
siege.
The Russians destroyed every-
thing of value before leaving the
settlement and their withdrawal
was orderly, the newspaper Izvestia
said.
Although the Russians were forced
to abandon the settlement under
German bombing, tank attacks and
the fire of some 10000 infantrymen
the newspaper Red Star said they
checked the enemy outside that dis
trict. The invaders regrouped.
Later in this fourth day of the
new German offensive, the Soviet
Information Bureau announced a
withdrawal in one sector, not spe-
officially identified. and dispatches
said the battle was intensified as
further Nazi reserves swung into
line to bolster the shock forces al
ready numerically superior.
The fourth withdrawal at Stalin-
grad was announced by the noon
communique, which also reported
that "at heavy cost, the Germans
managed to advance slightly in a
plane-supported attack southeast of
Noyorossisk.
In the Stallngrad area our troops
beat of constant enemy attacks, y
the communique said in a sum-
marizing sentence, and it reported
that the Russians defending one
street had slain $50 Germans and
destroyed % tanks.
43 Tanks Annihilated.
But following that came the state
ment that lin another sector Soviet
detachment withdrew to new de-
tense positions.
CA Berlin broadcast yesterday
declared the Germans had now
occupied half of Stalingrad.)
Forty-three German tanks were
declared added to the scrap heaps
of war yesterday while about a
regiment of infantry died in the
struggle to decide whether the
sWastika or the Red flag was to fly
above the ruins.
Red Army artillery and infantry
detachments demolished % block
houses and various war materiel and
annihilated about two companies of
Nazi riflemen in local actions north
west of Stalingrad, the midnight
communique said.
"On another sector" it reported
"Rumanian units which were at
tempting to restore lost positions
were driven back under the blows of
Soviet troops. More than 200 enemy
dead were left On the battlefield"
Large scale artillery and patrol
activity was indicated on several
sectors of the central (Moscow)
front. The communique said scouts
and snipers killed about 600 enemy
officers and men in that area.
Details of the giVe-and-take hat
tie of the Central Caucasus were
obscure, but it was announced that
lin the Mozdok area, fighting con-
tinued against enemy tanks and in
fantry."
The men of x unit killed about
200 enemy officers and men, de-
stroyed five tanks and blew up an
ammunition dump" the commune
que said. "On another sector, men
under the command of Markin an
initiated about one company of
German infantry"
German troops were declared
officially by Berlin to have oc-
cupfed Schaumyan, a town on
the 60-mile road leading south
westward from the captured city
of Maikop to the port OF Tuapse.
CThis indicates pincers
movement is developing against
Russian defenders of the West
ern Caucasus, for Tuapse was
already the objective Of Nazi
and Rumanian divisions swing.