Imperial Valley press., 1942-11-03
Nazis Advance In
South Caucasus to
Peril Oil Fields
By HENRY SHAPIRO

MOSCOW, Nov. 3. tUP)-Numer-
icallv superior German forces, ad-
vancing steadily southeast OF Nal
chik. threatened both Ordzhonikldze,
gateway to the rich southern Cauc-
asus. and the railhead leading to
the Grozny oil fields today
The Soviet noon communique ad-
nitted that the defenders had tall
en- back somewhat, their seventh
retreat since the middle OF last
week. Front-line dispatches report
cd the fall of an inhabited point,
although they did not make clear
whether it was in addition to Nal
chik. The Soviet high command
announced last midnight that 1t
had been abandoned to the Ger
mans.
REDS HOLD ELSEWHERE
Inside, south and northwest OF
Stalingrad. the Russians dealt the
Germans heavy blows. In north
ern section of Stalingrad, Red army
forces drove the Germans from sew
eral buildings in a factory area, in
fierce counter-attackS that began
four days ago.
On the southern outskirts of Stall
ingrad, the Russians killed 200 more
Germans. Northwest OF Stallngrad,
Red forces drove into enemy trench
es. killing 40 Germans, while trench
mortarS wiped out company-20O.
Dispatches from the Nalchik front
revealed that the Germans had
withdrawn most Of their forces from
around Mozdok, so miles to the
northeast, and had thrown them
into an effort to out-flank impen-
etrable Soviet defenses in the Terek
VALLEY.
NAZIS HIT HARD
The Germans tested Soviet de-
fenses in the Terek vale" for III
weeks, and almost suffered disaster
The German 23rd and 18th panzel
divisions, two Rumanlan infantry
divisions, 1,500 marines and numer-
Gus other units, in addition to nun
dreds of dive bombers, we're aSSail-
ing the Russians southeast of Nal
chik, dispatches said.
The Germans advanced over low
ground, fairly we'll suited to tanks,
at the foot of the snoW-capped
Caucasus mountains.
Their detectives were Ordzhonik-
idze, so miles to the southeast, ano
Grozny, about 80 miles due east.
From OrdZhonikidze, the Georg-
ian military highway leads through
a 6OO0-foot gorge to Tiflis, in the
southern Caucasus. From Ordzhon-
| ikidze also leads the OSsetic mill
tary highway, over the mountains
| to KutaniS, in the southern Cauc-
/ aSuS.
ALL-YEAR WEATHER
It is 28O miles from Tiflis to Baku
Russias principal oil district, and
10 miles from KutaniS to the inn
portant pert of Batum on the Tur'
| kish border. The weather permits
operations all year in the southern
Caucasus.
The noon communique described
fighting on the Stalingrad anc
Nalchik fronts as follows:
I'm the Stalingrad area, Sovie
troops repulsed enemy attacks ant
fortified themselves in occupied po
sitions. They dislodged the German
from several buildings in factor.
area.
"On the southern outskirts OF Stal
ingrad, Soviet units annihilated 20l
Germans.
DEFENSIVE FIGHTING
Northwest OIL Stalingrad, SOVie
patrols penetrated trenches ant
killed 40 Germans. Soviet trench
mortars wiped out German com
pany and destroyed three anti-tanl
guns.
Southeast of Nalchik, Sovie
troops continued heavy defensiv
fighting. One unit repulsed two at
tacks. killed $50 Germans and de
stroyed two tanks and one self
propeliing gun. Bringing up rein
forcements. the Germans attacked
a third time and succeeded at tn
cost of heavy losses in pressing oacl
our detachments somewhat.
"On another sector southeast o
Nalchik, 80 German tanks wer
disabled"
Soviet forces fighting northeas
of the Tuapse naval base, IN Tn
western Caucasus, occupied anothe
height their second in "a hours
and killed $50 Germans.