Evening star., 1942-10-29
Pressure Shifted
To NuIchik Area:
StoIingrod Holds
BY HENRY C. CASSIDY,

ACdAy uASpdGC1lCS Sdlu LOQdy Cllc
Germans were gaining ground
with a large-scale offensive in a
new sector of the Central Cau-
casuS, attacking the deep Red
Army defenses across the Nal
chik Plateau with troops, tanks,
artillery and planes.
This shift in invasion pressure
southwestward from the Mozdok
area was noted as Stalingrad's gar
rlson held on in the 66th day of
siege against German attempts to
capitalize on 200-yard gain in
bloody fighting yesterday.
That advance was estimated by
Red Star to have cost the enemy five
battalions of troops killed or wound
ed Goughly 5000 mem and 20 tanks
wrecked or burned.
Ten times the Nazis with large
troop and tank forces charged into
a gap between two factories, edging
forward yard by yard until they
finally were stalled, the army news
paper said in crossfire of machine
guns camouf1aged in the factory
buildings.
Bitter Cold in Caucasus.
Blizzards have been ranging in
the Caucasus mountains and bitter
cold has now set in. Russian dis
patches said many German soldiers
had been frozen to death in caves.
The Nazi command struck against
Nalchik, on roundabout route
toward the Georgian military high
way terminal at Ordzonikidze, after
being blocked in the Mozdok sector
and thrown far back in the area of
Tuapse, far to the northwest.
Special ski and sled detachments
were moved up by the Germans to
engage the Russians in the fight for
mountain slopes and passes deep in
snow.
The noon communique sum-
married the action thus:
I'm the area of Nalchik our
troops fought defensive battles. In
the area of height enemy auto
matte riflemen succeeded In driving
wedge into our positions. They
were dispersed, but when German
reinforcements arrived our troops
were forced to withdraw to new po-
sltions. Two enemy tanks and about
one company of the enemy were de-
stroyed"
Mobile DefenS> Head
1zvestia said the Red Army was
employing a mobile defense against
the armor- Unsupported enemy infan-
try.
Two or three Nazi battalions were
declared hurled against Nalchik, a
town of 10000 population known as
a health resort, so miles southwest
OF Mozdok and 60 miles northwest
of Ordzhonikidze.
"a Berlin broadcast recorded in
London declared the invaders
had captured Nalchik.)
The Caucasus Mountain CAMPAIGN
appeared the most picturesque of
the long and spectacular war on the
Russian front.
In prlmeval, snow-clad forests, on
slopes threatened by avalanches and
through deep defiles blocked bv
drifts, swift ski troops met in sharp
encounters.
Caravans of horses and donkeys
noundered to the front with food
and munitions, led by guides who
Waded waist deep in snow.
Red Army artillerymen carried
their guns forward 10 miles across
an area impossible for their ami
mails and emplaced them at the
front. Mortars, more mobile than
heaVy guns, were employed widely.
Rumanians Reported Defeated.
The third Rumanian Alpine divi-
sion was reported defeated in a
battle for Caucasian foothills.
The scene of this encounter was
not disclosed, but it apparently took
place northeast of Tuapse before the
Germans began the Nalchik push.
Izvestia said a new Rumanian di-
vision which originally was assigned
to the battle of Stalingrad had been
diverted to the Caucasus to replace
the defeated unit. The government
newspaper declared the new division
was commanded by a German staff
and supported by German tanks.
Hungarians and Austrians also
were reported to be operating in the
mountains.
Trench Raid in South Stalinxrad.
Germans who sought to follow up
a slight gain in the battle of Stain
grad yesterday were declared re-
pulsed.
Although the main Nazi line was
recently reported driven from South
Stalingrad to the steppes outside the
city, the communique spoke of a
trench raid lin the southern part
Of Stalingrad" in which Red Army
troops destroyed, seven blockhouses
and several dugouts.
Altogether" it said, "16 enemy
planes were destroyed during the
day"
Soviet shock troops were credited
with the destruction of two German
blockhouses and humiliation of two
companies of infantry during an at
tack in the region Of q height north
west OF Stalingrad while ION another
sector enemy attacks were checked"
AFTER q 60-day breathing spell,
Helsinkt was raided twice by Rus
sian bombers last night, dis
patch from the Finnish capital
reported.
tThree persons were killed and
nine wounded, the Finnish high
command announced)